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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 · bass · trunk · suit · track · land · leaves · branch

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. track — a path
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. cell — a phone
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. suit — clothes
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bass — the fish
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. branch — a division
  12. land — a country
  13. track — a song
  14. land — to come down
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. bass — low music
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. land — ground
  19. suit — to fit
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. suit — in cards
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. track — to keep track

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