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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: toast · straw · tube · rule · stock · arm · branch · firm

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. firm — decided
  5. firm — a company
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. tube — a container
  13. rule — a law
  14. stock — shares
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — the underground
  18. toast — bread
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. firm — steady
  24. rule — government

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