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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 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. firm — a company
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. track — a path
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. chair — a leader
  9. prune — to trim
  10. firm — steady
  11. wind — moving air
  12. branch — a division
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. track — to keep track
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. track — a song
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. wind — moving air
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. firm — decided

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