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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: cell · bank · fine · trunk · branch · shower · row · wake

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. shower — to wash
  4. wake — a trail
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bank — for money
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. cell — in biology
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. branch — a division
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. cell — a phone
  15. row — a line
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. bank — of a river
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. shower — rain
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bank — for money
  23. fine — all right
  24. trunk — of a car

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