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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: content · lash · branch · staff · trunk · pass · degree · wound

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  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. branch — a division
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — an injury
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. content — the amount
  11. degree — an amount
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. degree — temperature
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. degree — from a university
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. pass — a permit
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. content — happy
  23. trunk — of a tree
  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