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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 · pop · arm · nail · branch · cabinet · bear · trunk

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bear — the animal
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. rash — hasty
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. pop — to visit
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bear — the animal
  14. rash — a series
  15. branch — a division
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. pop — music
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pop — soda

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