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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: track · date · squash · cabinet · nail · dip · leaves · trunk

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  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. date — the fruit
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. dip — to sink
  8. track — a song
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. squash — the sport
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. track — to keep track
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. track — a path
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. squash — to crush
  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