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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: lean · net · cabinet · kid · trunk · spring · cap · prune

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. cap — of ice
  4. net — in sport
  5. kid — to tease
  6. spring — a coil
  7. cap — a hat
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. prune — to trim
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. lean — thin
  14. kid — child
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. cap — a lid
  17. lean — to bend
  18. net — for catching
  19. spring — the season
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. prune — to trim
  22. net — after costs
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. spring — of water

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