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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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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: cabinet · bass · bay · tube · board · patient · trunk · branch

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bass — low music
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. tube — the underground
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. board — to get on
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. branch — a division
  20. board — a committee
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. tube — a container
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. trunk — of a car

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