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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · saw · row · cell · cap · can · trunk · tube

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. tube — the underground
  3. cap — a lid
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. row — a line
  7. cap — a hat
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. can — a tin
  13. saw — the tool
  14. can — to be able to
  15. cell — in biology
  16. row — to paddle
  17. cell — a phone
  18. cap — of ice
  19. tube — a container
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. saw — the tool
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. can — a tin
  24. tube — in a tire

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