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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
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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: branch · mouse · firm · toast · pass · degree · straw · sharp

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. firm — steady
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. degree — an amount
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. degree — from a university
  13. pass — a permit
  14. toast — bread
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. firm — decided
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. sharp — clever
  20. branch — a division
  21. firm — a company
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. degree — temperature
  24. sharp — with an edge

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