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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rush — hurry
  4. field — for sport
  5. wake — a trail
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. field — farmland
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. tube — a container
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. branch — a division
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. tube — the underground
  21. rock — music
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. field — a subject

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