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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 chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. prune — to trim
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. squash — the sport
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. squash — to crush
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. branch — a division
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — a jug

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