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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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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: bear · cap · stand · trunk · rest · suit · land · prune

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. cap — a hat
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. suit — to fit
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. prune — to trim
  11. rest — what's left
  12. stand — to bear
  13. cap — a lid
  14. suit — in cards
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. land — ground
  17. suit — clothes
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. rest — a break
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. prune — to trim
  22. land — a country
  23. land — to come down
  24. cap — of ice

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