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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: snap · fall · suit · hide · fork · cabinet · trunk · fan

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. fork — in a road
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. suit — clothes
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. suit — in cards
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. suit — to fit
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. snap — to click
  23. fall — the season
  24. fall — to drop

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