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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: cabinet · lean · ground · scale · shower · bay · trunk · dip

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — thin
  6. dip — to sink
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. ground — the earth
  9. scale — size or range
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. ground — crushed
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. shower — to wash
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. ground — a position
  22. shower — rain
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. scale — in music

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