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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
468
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: net · last · cabinet · temple · fork · stem · capital · trunk

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. fork — in a road
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. last — to go on
  7. net — for catching
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. capital — a city
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. last — final
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. stem — to come from
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. capital — money
  20. net — in sport
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. last — finally

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