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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: suit · bank · coach · file · last · cabinet · pitcher · kick

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. last — finally
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. last — to go on
  6. bank — for money
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. suit — in cards
  9. kick — in football
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bank — of a river
  12. file — a tool
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. suit — clothes
  17. file — a document
  18. suit — to fit
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. last — final
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. file — a line of people
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bank — for money

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