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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a dance
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. content — the amount
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. bark — to shout
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. mate — a friend
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. branch — a division
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. mate — to breed
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. content — happy
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. mate — a partner

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