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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: board · snap · branch · calf · craft · stick · saw · straw

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. board — a committee
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. craft — boats
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. branch — a division
  16. saw — the tool
  17. craft — a skill
  18. board — to get on
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. snap — to click
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — past of 'see'

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com