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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 120 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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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: branch · stem · bay · trunk · wind · deal · mouse · tube

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. tube — a container
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. branch — a division
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. stem — to come from
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. deal — to handle
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. wind — moving air

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