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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 120 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: leaves · rock · branch · firm · straw · dip · kick · drill

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. branch — a division
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. rock — music
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. drill — a practice
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. drill — the tool
  10. rock — a stone
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. firm — a company
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. firm — decided
  16. kick — in football
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. drill — army training
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. firm — steady
  24. dip — to sink

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