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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. saw — the tool
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. squash — the sport
  11. saw — the tool
  12. date — the fruit
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. last — finally
  15. last — final
  16. chest — of your body
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. squash — to crush
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. chest — a box
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. chest — of your body
  23. branch — a division
  24. last — to go on

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