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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cabinet · mark · toast · spell · trunk · field · arm · cap

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. field — for sport
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. field — farmland
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. field — a subject
  7. spell — magic
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. spell — a short time
  13. cap — a lid
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. spell — letters
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. mark — a grade
  21. toast — bread
  22. mark — a trace
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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