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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chest · mark · branch · mouse · trunk · plane · coach · toast

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. toast — bread
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a trace
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. chest — of your body
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. chest — of your body
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. mark — a grade
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. chest — a box
  23. plane — a tool
  24. branch — a division

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