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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: hand · dip · trunk · last · leaves · present · cap · can

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. can — a tin
  3. dip — to sink
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. cap — a hat
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. hand — in cards
  9. can — a tin
  10. present — the time now
  11. cap — a lid
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. hand — help
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. present — a gift
  18. last — finally
  19. can — to be able to
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. last — final
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. last — to go on
  24. present — there

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