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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — a division
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. file — a document
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. perch — the fish
  15. deal — to handle
  16. root — of a plant
  17. file — a tool
  18. file — a line of people
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. root — the cause
  22. root — of a word
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. trunk — of a tree

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