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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: rash · leaves · trunk · clip · prune · calf · stand · cabinet

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. rash — hasty
  3. stand — to bear
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. clip — to cut
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. prune — to trim
  13. rash — a series
  14. prune — to trim
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. clip — for paper
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. clip — a video

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