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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 116 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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. branch — a division
  4. bank — of a river
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. rush — hurry
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. court — for sport
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. sharp — clever
  14. court — of a king
  15. bank — for money
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. staff — employees
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. staff — a stick
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. court — of law
  24. bank — for money

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