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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: wake · trunk · branch · chest · mate · firm · present · kick

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. mate — a friend
  3. branch — a division
  4. chest — of your body
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. firm — steady
  9. firm — a company
  10. kick — in football
  11. present — a gift
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. mate — to breed
  15. wake — a trail
  16. present — the time now
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. chest — of your body
  21. mate — a partner
  22. chest — a box
  23. firm — decided
  24. present — there

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