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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: bay · branch · trunk · wound · hide · game · fan · can

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. can — a tin
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. branch — a division
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. can — a tin
  16. wound — an injury
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. can — to be able to
  19. game — wild animals
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. game — a match
  24. fan — a supporter

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