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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: trunk · date · craft · lean · branch · present · leaves · kick

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  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. branch — a division
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. lean — thin
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. present — the time now
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. craft — a skill
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. craft — boats
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. lean — to bend
  20. kick — in football
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. present — there
  23. date — the fruit
  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