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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: land · bulb · trunk · file · kick · cabinet · lean · hand

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. land — a country
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. bulb — for light
  7. file — a line of people
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. bulb — for light
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. land — to come down
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. lean — to bend
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. land — ground
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. kick — in football
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. file — a tool
  20. hand — in cards
  21. lean — thin
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — help

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