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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: deal · mine · straw · cabinet · stick · charge · bay · branch

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. charge — electricity
  4. deal — to handle
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. branch — a division
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. charge — in control
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. mine — for digging
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. charge — a price

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