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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wound — an injury
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. perch — the fish
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bore — to drill
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. wound — an injury
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. branch — a division

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