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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. branch — a division
  4. cell — a phone
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mine — for digging
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bass — low music
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. cell — in biology
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bass — the fish
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. pound — a weight

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