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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. mine — for digging
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. perch — the fish
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. cue — a hint
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. cue — a signal
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. cue — for pool
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — a division
  22. pass — a permit
  23. kick — in football
  24. mine — an explosive

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