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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: squash · trunk · hand · track · saw · bank · calf · cabinet

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — for money
  11. hand — help
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bank — of a river
  14. saw — the tool
  15. hand — in cards
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. squash — the sport
  18. track — a song
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. track — to keep track
  22. saw — the tool
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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