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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 116 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: branch · mouse · trunk · safe · cold · mug · wake · scale

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. cold — an illness
  3. mug — to rob
  4. branch — a division
  5. cold — not warm
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. scale — in music
  8. mug — a face
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wake — a trail
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. scale — size or range
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. mug — a cup

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