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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · press · trunk · branch · lash · spring · lean · racket

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lean — thin
  5. press — a publisher
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. spring — a coil
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. spring — the season
  15. lean — to bend
  16. press — to push
  17. press — newspapers
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. spring — of water
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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