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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: jam · game · cabinet · lean · squash · bank · wake · trunk

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. lean — to bend
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. squash — the sport
  11. lean — thin
  12. wake — a trail
  13. game — a match
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. squash — to crush
  21. bank — of a river
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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