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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: cap · straw · lie · branch · wave · ruler · arm · dip

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a lid
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. lie — to recline
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. dip — to sink
  19. cap — a hat
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. branch — a division

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