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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. squash — the sport
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. saw — the tool
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. pit — a hole
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. shower — rain
  15. shower — to wash
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. saw — the tool
  20. squash — to crush
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. lie — to recline
  24. branch — of a bank

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