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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: tube · prune · board · trunk · lie · press · branch · rock

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. branch — a division
  3. rock — music
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. lie — to recline
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. prune — to trim
  8. tube — the underground
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. press — a publisher
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. tube — a container
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. board — to get on
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. rock — a stone
  19. press — to push
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. press — newspapers
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. prune — to trim

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