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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: bark · wave · march · safe · trunk · branch · stock · mug

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stock — shares
  9. stock — goods
  10. march — music
  11. march — the month
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. mug — a face
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. mug — to rob
  21. bark — to shout
  22. branch — a division
  23. mug — a cup
  24. march — the month

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