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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: rest · scale · mouse · branch · fine · trunk · wake · press

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. scale — size or range
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. rest — what's left
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. press — a publisher
  10. rest — a break
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — a trail
  14. rest — what's left
  15. scale — in music
  16. fine — high quality
  17. press — newspapers
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. branch — a division
  20. press — to push
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. fine — all right
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. branch — of a bank

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