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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. sharp — clever
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — a division
  8. last — finally
  9. plane — a tool
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. stem — to come from
  13. current — of water
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. current — electric
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. current — happening now
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — final
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. nail — for a hammer

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