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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. can — to be able to
  4. drill — army training
  5. branch — a division
  6. drill — the tool
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. drill — a practice
  9. perch — the fish
  10. saw — the tool
  11. chip — for betting
  12. saw — the tool
  13. can — a tin
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — to eat
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. wound — an injury
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. can — a tin
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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