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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: toast · roll · race · trunk · branch · cabinet · lie · rest

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. rest — what's left
  3. lie — to recline
  4. race — humankind
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. toast — bread
  7. race — the arms race
  8. rest — what's left
  9. branch — a division
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. roll — a cake
  15. rest — a break
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. roll — a list
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. race — a contest
  24. branch — of a tree

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