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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: fan · snap · ruler · club · stock · stick · trunk · branch

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. club — a group
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. stock — shares
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stock — goods
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. branch — a division
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. club — for dancing
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. club — for golf

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