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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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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: firm · cabinet · kid · branch · ruler · straw · season · face

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. kid — child
  3. firm — a company
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. branch — a division
  10. firm — steady
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. face — part of the head
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — of the year
  17. face — to point toward
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. firm — decided
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. kid — to tease
  24. face — to confront

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