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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: clip · rash · trunk · lie · branch · cue · fine · stock

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. clip — a video
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. cue — a signal
  7. stock — shares
  8. rash — a series
  9. cue — a hint
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. clip — to cut
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. lie — to recline
  15. rash — hasty
  16. stock — goods
  17. fine — high quality
  18. cue — for pool
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. clip — for paper
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. fine — all right

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