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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: cabinet · branch · chair · trunk · spring · scale · wind · craft

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. spring — a coil
  7. craft — a skill
  8. scale — size or range
  9. spring — the season
  10. wind — moving air
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. scale — in music
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. wind — moving air
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. chair — a leader
  20. spring — of water
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. craft — boats
  24. chair — a professorship

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