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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. file — a line of people
  4. branch — a division
  5. pit — in a race
  6. capital — a city
  7. foot — a measure
  8. last — finally
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. last — final
  14. pit — a hole
  15. file — a document
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. file — a tool
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. last — to go on
  22. capital — money
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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