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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — hurry
  5. branch — a division
  6. squash — to crush
  7. can — a tin
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. can — a tin
  13. squash — the sport
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. cell — in biology
  17. rock — music
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. cell — a phone
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. rock — a stone
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. can — to be able to

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