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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: stand · mine · perch · trunk · press · branch · spring · pass

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. spring — the season
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stand — to bear
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. press — a publisher
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. spring — of water
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. mine — for digging
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. branch — a division
  20. press — newspapers
  21. perch — the fish
  22. spring — a coil
  23. pass — a permit
  24. press — to push

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