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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: foot · branch · object · straw · swing · present · bass · shower

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. present — there
  3. present — the time now
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. object — a thing
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. swing — to play on
  8. shower — rain
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. foot — a measure
  11. present — a gift
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. object — to protest
  15. bass — low music
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. branch — a division
  18. shower — to wash
  19. bass — the fish
  20. swing — music
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. object — an aim
  23. swing — in golf
  24. bass — the instrument

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