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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: shower · rush · suit · cabinet · file · trunk · track · press

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  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. track — a song
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. track — a path
  4. press — newspapers
  5. rush — hurry
  6. press — a publisher
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. file — a tool
  9. shower — to wash
  10. suit — in cards
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. suit — clothes
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. file — a line of people
  17. suit — to fit
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. press — to push
  20. shower — rain
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. file — a document
  23. track — to keep track
  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