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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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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: trunk · jam · ground · cabinet · arm · fall · can · branch

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. branch — a division
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. can — a tin
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ground — a position
  12. fall — the season
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. can — to be able to
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. fall — to drop
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. can — a tin
  22. ground — crushed
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. jam — a tight spot

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