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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 116 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: present · trunk · cabinet · lie · key · hand · squash · can

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. key — in music
  4. squash — to crush
  5. can — a tin
  6. present — the time now
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. hand — help
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. present — there
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. key — the most important part
  17. lie — to recline
  18. squash — the sport
  19. hand — in cards
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. can — to be able to
  23. present — a gift
  24. key — for a lock

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