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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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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: court · lean · board · press · bank · foot · branch · trunk

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. bank — for money
  3. lean — thin
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. bank — for money
  6. court — for sport
  7. board — to get on
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. press — newspapers
  10. press — a publisher
  11. lean — to bend
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. foot — a measure
  15. court — of a king
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. branch — a division
  18. court — of law
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. press — to push
  21. bank — of a river
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. board — a committee

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