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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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. land — a country
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — a grade
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. land — ground
  17. land — to come down
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. branch — a division
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. perch — the fish
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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