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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: mouse · cap · trunk · pass · band · club · branch · calf

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. club — for golf
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. club — for dancing
  15. club — a group
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. cap — of ice
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. band — a music group
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. pass — a permit
  22. branch — a division
  23. band — a ring
  24. cap — a lid

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