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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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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: calf · branch · trunk · race · season · ball · cue · lie

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. ball — a great time
  6. season — in sport
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. cue — a hint
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. cue — for pool
  12. race — a contest
  13. cue — a signal
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. season — of the year
  18. race — the arms race
  19. race — humankind
  20. ball — a dance
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  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