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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: cold · cabinet · lie · trunk · rush · capital · suit · prune

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. lie — to recline
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. prune — to trim
  6. suit — to fit
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. prune — to trim
  12. cold — not warm
  13. suit — in cards
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. cold — an illness
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. rush — hurry
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. capital — a city
  22. suit — clothes
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. capital — money

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