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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. rest — a break
  4. rest — what's left
  5. kick — in football
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. rest — what's left
  8. last — final
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. branch — a division
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. stand — to bear
  16. last — to go on
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. last — finally
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. prune — to trim

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