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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: rash · cabinet · lean · trunk · march · lie · file · branch

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. file — a tool
  5. branch — a division
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lean — thin
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. file — a line of people
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. rash — hasty
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lean — to bend
  16. rash — a series
  17. march — music
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. march — the month
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. march — the month
  24. file — a document

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