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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 124 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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. staff — employees
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. roll — a cake
  8. drill — the tool
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. rash — a series
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. roll — a list
  13. drill — a practice
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. dip — to sink
  19. branch — a division
  20. staff — a stick
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. drill — army training
  23. staff — employees
  24. rash — hasty

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