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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 · arm · patient · mouse · ground · bat · branch · bank

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bank — for money
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bat — the animal
  8. ground — the earth
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bank — for money
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. bank — of a river
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. branch — a division
  22. ground — a position
  23. ground — crushed
  24. arm — part of the body

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