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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. mate — a friend
  8. sharp — clever
  9. branch — a division
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. mate — to breed
  12. kid — child
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. squash — the sport
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. kid — to tease
  20. mate — a partner
  21. saw — the tool
  22. squash — to crush
  23. rock — music
  24. squash — the vegetable

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