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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 120 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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. club — a group
  3. mark — a grade
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. face — to confront
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. wound — an injury
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. club — for golf
  11. wound — an injury
  12. club — for dancing
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. ball — a great time
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. ball — a dance
  17. branch — a division
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — a skill
  21. mark — a trace
  22. face — part of the head
  23. craft — boats
  24. face — to point toward

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