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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. craft — a skill
  6. present — a gift
  7. chip — for betting
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. chest — of your body
  10. craft — boats
  11. last — finally
  12. last — final
  13. present — there
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. chest — a box
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. chest — of your body
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. present — the time now
  20. chip — to eat
  21. squash — the sport
  22. last — to go on
  23. squash — to crush
  24. craft — a handicraft

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