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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: wake · racket · trunk · ruler · scale · branch · last · fan

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. scale — size or range
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. scale — in music
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. last — final
  13. wake — a trail
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. last — finally
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. branch — a division

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