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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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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 · perch · suit · trunk · wake · face · tear · race

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. face — part of the head
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. race — the arms race
  6. race — a contest
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. perch — the fish
  9. tear — to rip
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. tear — from crying
  14. suit — in cards
  15. race — humankind
  16. face — to confront
  17. face — to point toward
  18. wake — a trail
  19. suit — clothes
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. suit — to fit
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. branch — a division
  24. trunk — of a tree

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