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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 · lie · firm · branch · coach · scale · roll · game

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. roll — a list
  3. game — wild animals
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. lie — to recline
  8. scale — in music
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. firm — steady
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. scale — size or range
  15. game — a match
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. firm — decided
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. roll — a cake
  23. branch — a division
  24. lie — an untruth

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