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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: branch · trunk · suit · straw · bay · march

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. march — the month
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. march — music
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. branch — a division
  12. suit — in cards
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. suit — clothes
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. march — the month
  18. straw — dry grass

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