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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.

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: trunk · hide · leaves · band · key · bear · craft · branch

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bear — the animal
  5. craft — a skill
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. key — the most important part
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. branch — a division
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. key — in music
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. key — for a lock
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. bear — the animal
  19. band — a ring
  20. craft — boats
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. band — a music group
  24. leaves — to go away

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