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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: trunk · mouse · spell · content · fork · toast · branch · stem

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. stem — to come from
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. spell — magic
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. content — happy
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. toast — bread
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. spell — a short time
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. spell — letters
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. branch — a division
  22. content — the amount
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. mouse — the animal

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