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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 116 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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. last — to go on
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. branch — a division
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. row — a line
  10. scale — in music
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. last — finally
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. scale — size or range
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. rush — hurry
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. last — final
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. racket — a loud noise

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