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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 120 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: suit · bound · foot · lash · trunk · cabinet · saw · cap

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bound — certain
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cap — a lid
  12. bound — tied together
  13. suit — to fit
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. suit — clothes
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bound — obliged
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. saw — the tool
  21. suit — in cards
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. foot — a measure
  24. lash — to lash out

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