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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. mark — a grade
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. staff — employees
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. branch — a division
  11. cue — a signal
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bark — to shout
  15. cue — a hint
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. cue — for pool
  18. staff — a stick
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. staff — employees
  23. mark — a trace
  24. branch — 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