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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: capital · trunk · cabinet · leaves · suit · bound · stem · rest

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. suit — clothes
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. capital — money
  6. suit — in cards
  7. rest — what's left
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. bound — tied together
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stem — to come from
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bound — certain
  19. suit — to fit
  20. rest — a break
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. bound — obliged
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. cabinet — ministers

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