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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: trunk · cabinet · fine · nail · capital · leaves · prune · calf

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. capital — money
  7. fine — high quality
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. fine — all right
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. capital — a city
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. prune — to trim
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. prune — to trim
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. calf — a young animal

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