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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: file · fall · cabinet · spell · trunk · mate

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. spell — letters
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. mate — a partner
  6. fall — the season
  7. file — a line of people
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. fall — to drop
  10. spell — a short time
  11. file — a document
  12. mate — a friend
  13. file — a tool
  14. fall — to drop
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. spell — magic
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. mate — to breed

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