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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: trunk · bulb · staff · coach · chair · tube · branch · bay

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. staff — a stick
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. staff — employees
  12. tube — the underground
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. tube — a container
  15. chair — a leader
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. bulb — for light
  21. branch — a division
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. staff — employees

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