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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: cell · charge · clip · trunk · rest · cue · rush · cabinet

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. rest — what's left
  3. charge — in control
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. clip — for paper
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. charge — a price
  9. cell — a phone
  10. clip — to cut
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. cell — in biology
  13. charge — electricity
  14. clip — a video
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. rest — what's left
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. rest — a break
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. rush — hurry

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