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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. branch — a division
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. key — for a lock
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. foot — a measure
  15. key — the most important part
  16. current — of water
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — of the year
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. key — in music
  22. current — happening now
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. current — electric

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