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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: root · trunk · tube · bay · perch · straw · scale · branch

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. tube — a container
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. root — of a word
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. root — the cause
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. scale — size or range
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. scale — in music
  19. branch — a division
  20. perch — the fish
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. root — of a plant
  24. bay — a horse colour

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