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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 120 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: mate · last · trunk · branch · net · ruler · bear · ball

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bear — the animal
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. net — for catching
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. net — in sport
  7. net — after costs
  8. mate — a friend
  9. ball — a dance
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bear — the animal
  12. branch — a division
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. mate — to breed
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. mate — a partner
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — finally
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. last — final

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