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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 116 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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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: tube · bowl · trunk · shower · branch · rule · lean · board

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. lean — to bend
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rule — a law
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. lean — thin
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. board — to get on
  10. tube — the underground
  11. branch — a division
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. shower — to wash
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. tube — a container
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. shower — rain
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. rule — government
  24. board — a committee

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