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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. club — for golf
  6. race — a contest
  7. branch — a division
  8. club — for dancing
  9. race — the arms race
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. club — a group
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. race — humankind
  15. mug — a cup
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. board — a committee
  19. mug — a face
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. mug — to rob
  24. straw — dry grass

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