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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: perch · snap · branch · toast · straw · cabinet · rest · trunk

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. rest — what's left
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. rest — a break
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. rest — what's left
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. snap — to click
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. toast — bread
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. branch — a division
  23. perch — the fish
  24. straw — a straw man

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