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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: bass · deal · trunk · pass · branch · leaves · calf · lash

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. pass — a permit
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. branch — a division
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. deal — to handle
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. bass — low music

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