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

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. saw — the tool
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. object — to protest
  5. saw — the tool
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. board — a committee
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. wake — a trail
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. board — to get on
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. deal — to handle
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. object — a thing
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. deal — an agreement
  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