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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. spring — the season
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. spring — of water
  6. suit — to fit
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. suit — clothes
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. suit — in cards
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. swing — in golf
  17. chest — a box
  18. swing — music
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. swing — to play on
  21. spring — a coil
  22. chest — of your body
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — of a tree

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