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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: lean · racket · wind · calf · branch · chest · snap · trunk

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. chest — a box
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. branch — a division
  6. chest — of your body
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — thin
  12. wind — moving air
  13. snap — to click
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. chest — of your body
  21. wind — moving air
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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