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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: bass · chest · foot · rush · fork · cell · branch · trunk

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. branch — a division
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — of your body
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. cell — a phone
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. fork — in a road
  15. foot — a measure
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. chest — a box
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. cell — in biology
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bass — the fish
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. bass — low 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