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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: mark · shower · leaves · hand · suit · cabinet · trunk · date

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. suit — clothes
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. shower — to wash
  9. hand — help
  10. shower — rain
  11. suit — to fit
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. date — the fruit
  15. suit — in cards
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. hand — in cards
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — a grade
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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