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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: cell · nail · arm · fine · jam · track · bank · trunk

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. fine — high quality
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. track — to keep track
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. cell — a phone
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. bank — for money
  14. track — a song
  15. fine — all right
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bank — for money
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. bank — of a river
  24. cell — in biology

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