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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 · nail · bass · branch · board · rush · lean · chair

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  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. lean — to rest against
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bass — low music
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a committee
  7. branch — a division
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. lean — to bend
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. chair — a leader
  19. lean — thin
  20. bass — the fish
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. bass — the instrument
  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