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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. bank — for money
  3. bark — to shout
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bank — for money
  9. dip — to sink
  10. face — part of the head
  11. roll — a list
  12. face — to confront
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bank — of a river
  15. face — to point toward
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. roll — a cake
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. branch — a division
  24. bark — 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