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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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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: prune · snap · sharp · ruler · leaves · cap · trunk · cabinet

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. sharp — clever
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. snap — to click
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. cap — of ice
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. ruler — a monarch

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