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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: racket · cap · cabinet · trunk · stem · dip · snap · squash

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. cap — a hat
  5. squash — the sport
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. dip — to sink
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. squash — to crush
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cap — of ice
  23. snap — to click
  24. trunk — of a car

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