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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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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: toast · trunk · branch · key · calf · board

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. key — in music
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. key — the most important part
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. branch — a division
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. key — for a lock
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. board — to get on
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. toast — bread
  18. board — a flat piece

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