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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: lash · branch · prune · trunk · bay · foot · bat · patient

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — to trim
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. branch — a division
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. foot — a measure
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. lash — to lash out

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