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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. fall — the season
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. band — a music group
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. present — there
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. band — a ring
  9. branch — a division
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. saw — the tool
  15. board — to get on
  16. present — a gift
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. perch — the fish
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. board — a committee
  21. present — the time now
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — to drop
  24. perch — for a bird

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