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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 120 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
468
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: trunk · scale · spring · temple · cell · branch · wake · cabinet

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. scale — size or range
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. spring — the season
  7. branch — a division
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. spring — of water
  11. cell — in biology
  12. scale — in music
  13. cell — a phone
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. spring — a coil
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. wake — a trail
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — ministers

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