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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
468
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: cabinet · present · rash · file · fork · calf · plane · trunk

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. present — the time now
  5. file — a document
  6. file — a line of people
  7. present — there
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rash — a series
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. plane — a tool
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. file — a tool
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. fork — in a road
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rash — hasty
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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