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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: saw · trunk · temple · track · branch · key · perch · tear

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. tear — to rip
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. perch — the fish
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. branch — a division
  10. key — for a lock
  11. tear — from crying
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. track — to keep track
  15. key — in music
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. track — a song
  18. track — a path
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. tear — from crying
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — the 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