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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. last — final
  3. bank — of a river
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. wound — an injury
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. last — finally
  10. last — to go on
  11. cue — for pool
  12. branch — a division
  13. cue — a signal
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bank — for money
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. bank — for money
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. cue — a hint
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. wound — an injury

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