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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: content · mug · branch · nail · bank · chair · spell · straw

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mug — a face
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — a short time
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. mug — a cup
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. bank — for money
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. spell — letters
  15. bank — of a river
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. bank — for money
  18. content — the amount
  19. chair — a leader
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. branch — a division
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. content — happy

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