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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
468
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: wake · mouse · branch · mug · chair · root · wave · trunk

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. root — the cause
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. root — of a word
  11. mug — a face
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. branch — a division
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. root — of a plant
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. wake — a trail
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mug — a cup
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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