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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: clip · mine · cabinet · cue · trunk · current · file · coach

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. current — of water
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. cue — for pool
  6. mine — for digging
  7. file — a tool
  8. current — electric
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. clip — for paper
  12. clip — to cut
  13. cue — a signal
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. file — a line of people
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. current — happening now
  21. file — a document
  22. cue — a hint
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. clip — a video

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