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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 116 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: trunk · cabinet · rush · file · sharp · content · calf · rest

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rest — a break
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rush — hurry
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. file — a tool
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. rest — what's left
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. sharp — clever
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. file — a document
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. file — a line of people
  21. content — the amount
  22. content — happy
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. cabinet — ministers

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