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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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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: straw · saw · trunk · branch · mug · face · spell · hide

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. mug — a face
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. saw — the tool
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mug — a cup
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. face — to confront
  11. spell — a short time
  12. face — to point toward
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. spell — letters
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. branch — a division
  18. spell — magic
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. face — part of the head
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. straw — dry grass

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