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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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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: bear · snap · bay · straw · hide · fine · pitch · branch

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. branch — a division
  3. snap — to click
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. fine — all right
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. bear — the animal
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. pitch — completely
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. fine — high quality
  24. branch — of a tree

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