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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: toast · season · pound · fine · trunk · cabinet · arm · cold

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. season — in sport
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fine — all right
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. cold — an illness
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pound — a weight
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. cold — not warm
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. season — of the year
  23. toast — bread
  24. trunk — of a tree

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