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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 116 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: lean · current · trunk · file · stand · branch · wax · season

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. file — a document
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. file — a line of people
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — a division
  7. wax — to grow
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. stand — to bear
  10. season — in sport
  11. lean — to bend
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. current — of water
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. lean — thin
  18. current — happening now
  19. file — a tool
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. current — electric
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — of the year

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