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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
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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: bass · trunk · branch · hide · field · stem · cabinet · craft

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bass — the fish
  5. field — farmland
  6. craft — boats
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bass — low music
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. stem — to come from
  18. field — a subject
  19. craft — a skill
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. branch — a division
  22. field — for sport
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. trunk — of a car

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