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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: mate · pop · trunk · object · spring · wake · bass · branch

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mate — a friend
  7. object — a thing
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bass — low music
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. pop — to visit
  15. wake — a trail
  16. spring — the season
  17. object — to protest
  18. spring — a coil
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. spring — of water
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. pop — soda
  23. branch — a division
  24. pop — music

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