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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. land — a country
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. key — in music
  6. key — the most important part
  7. pop — soda
  8. mark — a grade
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. pop — music
  11. land — to come down
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — a division
  15. land — ground
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. mark — a trace
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. key — for a lock
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. pop — to visit
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. perch — the fish

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