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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. branch — a division
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. cell — a phone
  5. fork — in a road
  6. cue — for pool
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bank — for money
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cue — a hint
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. cell — in biology
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. bank — for money
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bark — to shout

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