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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. branch — a division
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. track — a path
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. track — to keep track
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bass — the fish
  21. track — a song
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bass — low music

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