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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. suit — to fit
  9. sharp — clever
  10. branch — a division
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fine — all right
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. fall — to drop
  18. suit — clothes
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. snap — to click
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fall — the season
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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