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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. bear — the animal
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mug — a cup
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. mug — a face
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. mug — to rob
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — to breed
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. bear — the animal
  21. mate — a friend
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. saw — the tool
  24. branch — a division

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