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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: suit · kick · roll · cabinet · trunk · cap · row · tear

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. tear — from crying
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. cap — a lid
  10. suit — to fit
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. suit — in cards
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. kick — in football
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. row — a line
  17. tear — from crying
  18. cap — of ice
  19. roll — a cake
  20. suit — clothes
  21. row — to paddle
  22. cap — a hat
  23. tear — to rip
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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