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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. fine — all right
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. hand — help
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. cold — not warm
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. cold — an illness

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