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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. rush — hurry
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. board — a committee
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. branch — a division
  9. present — the time now
  10. board — to get on
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. bulb — for light
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bulb — for light
  23. present — there
  24. present — a gift

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