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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: can · branch · degree · trunk · object · press · cue · spring

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. can — a tin
  3. degree — temperature
  4. can — a tin
  5. branch — a division
  6. can — to be able to
  7. spring — the season
  8. degree — from a university
  9. cue — for pool
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — a hint
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — to push
  17. object — to protest
  18. object — an aim
  19. press — newspapers
  20. degree — an amount
  21. object — a thing
  22. spring — of water
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. spring — a coil

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