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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. sharp — clever
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. rash — a series
  9. current — happening now
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — of law
  13. court — for sport
  14. branch — a division
  15. rash — hasty
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. current — of water
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. lie — to recline
  24. current — electric

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