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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: hand · branch · bowl · stem · bore · sharp · racket · trunk

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. hand — help
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. sharp — clever
  16. branch — a division
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. stem — to come from
  19. hand — in cards
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bore — to tire
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. trunk — 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