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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. spell — a short time
  5. wind — moving air
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. spell — letters
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. drill — a practice
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. branch — a division
  13. prune — to trim
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. drill — the tool
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. prune — to trim
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wind — moving air
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. spell — magic

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