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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 116 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: cabinet · leaves · charge · saw · stick · ruler · kid · trunk

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. saw — the tool
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. kid — to tease
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. saw — the tool
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. kid — child
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. charge — in control
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. charge — electricity
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. charge — a price
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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