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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fine · cap · spring · cabinet · trunk · pop · leaves · rash

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. spring — the season
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. pop — music
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cap — of ice
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fine — high quality
  11. cap — a hat
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. pop — to visit
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. spring — a coil
  16. fine — all right
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. cap — a lid
  19. rash — hasty
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. rash — a series
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. spring — of water

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