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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: board · hide · capital · cell · foot · trunk · lean · leaves

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. capital — money
  6. lean — to bend
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. board — to get on
  11. cell — in biology
  12. capital — a city
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. cell — a phone
  22. lean — thin
  23. board — a committee
  24. foot — a measure

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