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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: track · cabinet · bass · branch · tear · temple · perch · trunk

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. tear — to rip
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. tear — from crying
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. track — to keep track
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. tear — from crying
  16. perch — the fish
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. track — a path
  19. bass — low music
  20. branch — a division
  21. bass — the fish
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. temple — a place of worship

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