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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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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: wake · trunk · cabinet · land · bound · hide · craft · suit

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. wake — a trail
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. bound — certain
  6. craft — boats
  7. land — a country
  8. suit — in cards
  9. land — ground
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. suit — to fit
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. land — to come down
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. bound — obliged
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. bound — tied together
  24. craft — a skill

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