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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. staff — employees
  5. branch — a division
  6. chest — a box
  7. roll — a cake
  8. staff — a stick
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. roll — a list
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. track — to keep track
  17. chest — of your body
  18. toast — bread
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. perch — the fish
  21. track — a song
  22. staff — employees
  23. chest — of your body
  24. perch — for a bird

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