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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: mug · lean · rule · bank · hide · track · branch · straw

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. rule — government
  3. mug — a face
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. lean — to bend
  6. track — to keep track
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. mug — a cup
  10. bank — of a river
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. mug — to rob
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. track — a path
  16. track — a song
  17. bank — for money
  18. lean — thin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. bank — for money
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. branch — a division
  24. rule — a law

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