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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: scale · trunk · mark · branch · root · bat · calf · wave

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. scale — in music
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. root — the cause
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. root — of a word
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. scale — size or range
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. mark — a trace
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. mark — a grade
  23. root — of a plant
  24. wave — of the sea

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