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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: wind · cabinet · hide · hand · object · trunk · perch · pit

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. pit — in a race
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. perch — the fish
  11. object — an aim
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. wind — moving air
  18. object — to protest
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pit — a hole
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — in cards
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. object — a thing

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