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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: pound · bowl · lie · trunk · leaves · cap · kid · cabinet

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cap — a lid
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. kid — to tease
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pound — a weight
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. kid — child
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. cap — of ice
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. lie — to recline
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. cap — a hat
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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