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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: row · branch · mate · present · trunk · pass · lean · court

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. lean — to bend
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. present — a gift
  6. lean — thin
  7. pass — a permit
  8. court — of a king
  9. court — for sport
  10. mate — a friend
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. present — there
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. row — a line
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. court — of law
  19. mate — to breed
  20. row — to paddle
  21. branch — a division
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. present — the time now
  24. mate — a partner

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