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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: cue · jam · wake · toast · lie · trunk · cabinet · cap

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. wake — a trail
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. toast — bread
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. cap — of ice
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. lie — to recline
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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