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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 need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. branch — a division
  7. cap — a hat
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. stand — to bear
  11. cap — of ice
  12. drill — army training
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cap — a lid
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bark — to shout
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. wind — moving air
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. drill — a practice
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. trunk — of a car

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