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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: stick · trunk · branch · leaves · stock · arm · stem · wound

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stock — goods
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stock — shares
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. branch — a division
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. wound — an injury
  24. branch — of a tree

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