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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: trunk · cap · leaves · court · stand · spell · file · fall

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. cap — of ice
  3. fall — the season
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. file — a document
  6. spell — magic
  7. file — a line of people
  8. court — of a king
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. court — of law
  12. file — a tool
  13. court — for sport
  14. fall — to drop
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — letters
  19. cap — a lid
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. cap — a hat
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. fall — to drop
  24. stand — for spectators

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