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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 · rush · pass · cabinet · cold · arm · trunk · band

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. cold — not warm
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. pass — a permit
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a ring
  23. rush — hurry
  24. cold — an illness

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