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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: toast · branch · present · cap · hide · field · plane · trunk

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cap — of ice
  3. field — farmland
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. field — a subject
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. toast — bread
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. present — a gift
  12. plane — a tool
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. present — there
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. cap — a lid
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. branch — a division
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. present — the time now
  22. field — for sport
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. hide — animal skin

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