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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 · spell · trunk · key · last · rush · wind · lean

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. spell — magic
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. spell — a short time
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. lean — thin
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. lean — to bend
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. last — finally
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. key — in music
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. wind — moving air
  15. branch — a division
  16. last — to go on
  17. key — for a lock
  18. last — final
  19. wind — moving air
  20. spell — letters
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. key — the most important part
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. rush — hurry

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