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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — a box
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. rule — a law
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. key — the most important part
  9. chest — of your body
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. key — in music
  14. fine — all right
  15. mate — to breed
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. fine — high quality
  18. branch — a division
  19. rule — government
  20. mate — a friend
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. mate — a partner
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. key — for a lock

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