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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: trunk · mug · lean · branch · band · scale · calf · bear

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mug — a face
  11. lean — to bend
  12. scale — in music
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. mug — a cup
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. band — a music group
  17. band — a ring
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. mug — to rob
  22. lean — thin
  23. branch — a division
  24. lean — to rest against

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