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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 116 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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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: wake · stem · ground · bay · branch · band · net · trunk

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. net — in sport
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. band — a ring
  11. net — after costs
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. ground — crushed
  14. band — a music group
  15. wake — a trail
  16. net — for catching
  17. ground — the earth
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. branch — a division
  20. ground — a position
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. stem — to come from
  24. branch — of a bank

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