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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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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 · pit · leaves · last · race · kick · dip · trunk

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  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. race — humankind
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. dip — to sink
  6. last — final
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. race — a contest
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. pit — a hole
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. last — to go on
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. last — finally
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. kick — in football
  19. race — the arms race
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. pit — in a race
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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