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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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. squash — the sport
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. branch — a division
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. squash — to crush
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. mouse — the animal

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