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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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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: rush · trunk · file · pitch · bay · can · snap · bound

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. file — a document
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bound — certain
  7. rush — hurry
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. pitch — completely
  12. snap — to click
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. file — a line of people
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. file — a tool
  18. can — a tin
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. can — to be able to
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bound — tied together
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. trunk — of a car

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