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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: branch · lie · trunk · stick · stand · date · mouse · chair

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. stand — to bear
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. branch — a division
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. lie — to recline
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. date — the fruit
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. chair — a leader

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