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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 · wax · board · cell · bulb · trunk · track · rest

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. wax — to grow
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. track — to keep track
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. rest — what's left
  10. cell — a phone
  11. track — a path
  12. track — a song
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. bulb — for light
  16. rest — a break
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. board — a committee
  20. cell — in biology
  21. rest — what's left
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. branch — a division
  24. board — to get on

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