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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. branch — a division
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. present — the time now
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. saw — the tool
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. lean — thin
  16. saw — the tool
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. present — there
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. mine — for digging
  24. present — a gift

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