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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  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. trunk — of a tree
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. foot — a measure
  4. spell — a short time
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. chest — a box
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — music
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. chest — of your body
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. branch — a division
  16. stock — shares
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. spell — letters
  21. stock — goods
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. stock — a soup base
  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