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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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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: leaves · arm · staff · craft · trunk · branch · ruler · kid

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. branch — a division
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. kid — child
  10. staff — employees
  11. kid — to tease
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. craft — boats
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — a stick
  21. craft — a skill
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — a part of something

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