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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: land · trunk · swing · cap · cabinet · mouse · rock · foot

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rock — music
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. cap — a lid
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. swing — in golf
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. swing — to play on
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. swing — music
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. land — a country
  20. foot — a measure
  21. land — ground
  22. rock — a stone
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. cap — of ice

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