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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · straw · trunk · swing · present · cap · plane · bore

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. swing — music
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. present — a gift
  10. cap — of ice
  11. present — the time now
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. swing — in golf
  15. bore — to tire
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. branch — a division
  18. swing — to play on
  19. bore — to drill
  20. present — there
  21. cap — a hat
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. plane — a tool

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