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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  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. swing — in golf
  2. branch — a division
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. craft — a skill
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. scale — in music
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. swing — music
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. bore — to tire
  14. hand — in cards
  15. swing — to play on
  16. craft — boats
  17. lie — to recline
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. scale — size or range
  22. bore — to drill
  23. hand — help
  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