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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cabinet · coach · file · kick · ground · wax · can · ruler

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. can — to be able to
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. wax — to grow
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. can — a tin
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. file — a tool
  10. file — a document
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. ground — crushed
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. kick — in football
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. ground — a position
  21. file — a line of people
  22. can — a tin
  23. ground — the earth
  24. coach — a trainer

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