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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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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: land · cabinet · foot · saw · trunk · branch · cue · rash

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. land — a country
  4. land — ground
  5. cue — a signal
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. rash — a series
  8. rash — hasty
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. saw — the tool
  11. foot — a measure
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. branch — a division
  15. land — to come down
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cue — for pool
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. saw — the tool
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — ministers

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