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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: branch · rush · rest · chair · trunk · bear · fork · suit

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — a break
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. chair — a leader
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. branch — a division
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. rest — what's left
  19. fork — in a road
  20. suit — clothes
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. suit — to fit
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. bear — the animal

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