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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 · staff · track · trunk · stick · bound · tube · fall

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fall — the season
  4. bound — obliged
  5. track — a path
  6. track — a song
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. staff — a stick
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. fall — to drop
  13. tube — the underground
  14. staff — employees
  15. fall — to drop
  16. branch — a division
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. bound — certain
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. staff — employees
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. tube — a container
  24. bound — tied together

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