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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. branch — a division
  4. fall — the season
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pound — a weight
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. hand — in cards
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. fall — to drop
  17. board — a committee
  18. saw — the tool
  19. hand — help
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bass — low music
  22. board — to get on
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bass — the fish

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