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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. sharp — clever
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. fall — to drop
  5. land — ground
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. fall — the season
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. land — to come down
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rush — hurry
  19. fall — to drop
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. branch — a division
  24. land — a country

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