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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: chair · bulb · root · trunk · stock · rest · lie · branch

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. stock — goods
  4. bulb — for light
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. chair — a leader
  7. root — the cause
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. lie — to recline
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bulb — for light
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. rest — a break
  18. root — of a plant
  19. rest — what's left
  20. stock — shares
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. root — of a word
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. branch — a division

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