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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: branch · straw · wake · mouse · saw · chest · mark · bay

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  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. straw — a straw man
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. branch — a division
  6. chest — of your body
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. wake — a trail
  14. saw — the tool
  15. chest — of your body
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. chest — a box
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. mark — a trace
  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