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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. track — to keep track
  7. rock — music
  8. club — for golf
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. club — for dancing
  12. track — a path
  13. club — a group
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. branch — a division
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. perch — the fish
  18. track — a song
  19. rock — a stone
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. lash — an eyelash

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