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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: toast · cabinet · leaves · pitcher · land · tear · cap · can

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. tear — from crying
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. can — to be able to
  9. land — ground
  10. cap — a hat
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. can — a tin
  13. toast — bread
  14. land — a country
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. cap — of ice
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. tear — to rip
  21. land — to come down
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. can — a tin
  24. tear — from crying

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