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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: cue · patient · branch · land · trunk · stick · press · wound

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. cue — for pool
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. branch — a division
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. wound — an injury
  9. press — to push
  10. land — ground
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. press — a publisher
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — a signal
  21. land — a country
  22. land — to come down
  23. wound — an injury
  24. press — newspapers

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