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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: shower · bound · branch · ball · chip · trunk · fan · cell

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. cell — in biology
  5. chip — to eat
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bound — obliged
  8. shower — rain
  9. cell — a phone
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. ball — a great time
  13. chip — for betting
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. shower — to wash
  17. bound — certain
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. bound — tied together

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