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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 120 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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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 · spring · bound · branch · lean · stand · ground · track

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. ground — the earth
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. lean — to bend
  6. track — a path
  7. spring — the season
  8. track — to keep track
  9. bound — obliged
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. stand — to bear
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. track — a song
  14. lean — thin
  15. bound — certain
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. spring — a coil
  18. ground — a position
  19. ground — crushed
  20. bound — tied together
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. spring — of water
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. stand — on your feet

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