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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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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 · firm · vault · cap · file · tear · trunk · kick

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. cap — a lid
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. firm — decided
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. file — a document
  9. kick — in football
  10. tear — from crying
  11. cap — a hat
  12. firm — a company
  13. file — a tool
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. firm — steady
  16. tear — from crying
  17. cap — of ice
  18. tear — to rip
  19. file — a line of people
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. vault — a safe
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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