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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. present — there
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. branch — a division
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. snap — to click
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. wake — a trail
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — the time now
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. band — a ring
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. wake — before a funeral

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