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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. last — final
  5. kid — child
  6. last — to go on
  7. board — to get on
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. track — a song
  12. last — finally
  13. track — to keep track
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. track — a path
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. kid — to tease
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. board — a committee
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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