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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. drill — the tool
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. spell — a short time
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. track — a song
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. branch — a division
  11. bear — the animal
  12. drill — army training
  13. spell — magic
  14. chest — a box
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bark — to shout
  19. track — to keep track
  20. track — a path
  21. chest — of your body
  22. drill — a practice
  23. bear — the animal
  24. spell — letters

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