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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 116 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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. perch — the fish
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. deal — to handle
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. fork — in a road
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. wound — an injury
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. stand — to bear

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