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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.

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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: branch · ball · rest · bass · cell · stick · season · trunk

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. season — in sport
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. rest — what's left
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. bass — low music
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. rest — a break
  12. ball — a dance
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bass — the fish
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. branch — a division
  21. cell — a phone
  22. rest — what's left
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — of the year

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