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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: branch · stick · pitcher · object · bowl · trunk · chest · rush

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. chest — of your body
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. chest — a box
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. object — a thing
  7. branch — a division
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. chest — of your body
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. object — an aim
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. rush — hurry
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. object — to protest
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. bowl — to roll

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