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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. rash — hasty
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. branch — a division
  16. rash — a series
  17. staff — a stick
  18. tube — a container
  19. staff — employees
  20. tube — the underground
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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