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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: object · cabinet · ball · kid · rest · file · trunk · coach

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. rest — a break
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. file — a tool
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. rest — what's left
  9. ball — a dance
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. ball — a great time
  14. kid — child
  15. kid — to tease
  16. file — a line of people
  17. rest — what's left
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. file — a document
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — a thing
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  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