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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: present · ground · fall · trunk · object · content · plane · branch

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. plane — a tool
  3. ground — crushed
  4. fall — to drop
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. fall — the season
  7. content — the amount
  8. object — a thing
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. content — happy
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. present — the time now
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. branch — a division
  16. fall — to drop
  17. ground — the earth
  18. object — an aim
  19. present — there
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. ground — a position
  23. object — to protest
  24. present — a gift

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