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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: bay · wound · branch · ground · stick · bank · straw · fan

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bank — for money
  7. ground — a position
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bank — for money
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. ground — the earth
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. ground — crushed
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. branch — a division
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bay — a horse colour

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