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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. file — a line of people
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. wound — an injury
  6. deal — to handle
  7. season — in sport
  8. file — a document
  9. suit — to fit
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. track — a song
  13. wound — an injury
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. file — a tool
  18. suit — in cards
  19. suit — clothes
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. season — of the year
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a path
  24. deal — a big deal

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