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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: branch · bulb · nail · pitcher · temple · coach · degree · trunk

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. degree — an amount
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bulb — for light
  14. degree — from a university
  15. bulb — for light
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. degree — temperature
  19. branch — a division
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. branch — of a bank

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