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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.

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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 · foot · mate · lean · ball · leaves · stock · trunk

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. stock — goods
  4. lean — to bend
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. mate — a partner
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. stock — shares
  10. foot — a measure
  11. ball — a dance
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. branch — a division
  15. lean — thin
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. ball — a great time
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. mate — to breed
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. leaves — lets stay

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