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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — in cards
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. branch — a division
  9. suit — to fit
  10. present — there
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. present — a gift
  16. kid — child
  17. present — the time now
  18. wind — moving air
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — hurry
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. wind — moving air
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. kid — to tease

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