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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: staff · rock · degree · game · squash · leaves · trunk · cabinet

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. squash — to crush
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. staff — a stick
  6. game — a match
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. rock — a stone
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. staff — employees
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. game — wild animals
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. degree — temperature
  17. rock — music
  18. squash — the sport
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. staff — employees
  21. degree — from a university
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. degree — an amount
  24. leaves — to go away

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