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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 116 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: branch · squash · trunk · capital · lean · rush · hand · fork

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. hand — in cards
  3. lean — to bend
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. capital — a city
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. rush — hurry
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — a division
  14. squash — to crush
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. hand — help
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. squash — the sport
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. lean — thin
  24. capital — money

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