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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 116 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: racket · cabinet · lean · fine · leaves · clip · trunk · coach

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. lean — thin
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. fine — all right
  9. lean — to bend
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. fine — high quality
  12. clip — a video
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. clip — to cut
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. clip — for paper

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