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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 120 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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. branch — a division
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — tied together
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. fork — in a road
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. last — final
  10. firm — a company
  11. key — in music
  12. last — to go on
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. last — finally
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. firm — decided
  17. key — for a lock
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. perch — the fish
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bound — obliged
  24. firm — steady

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