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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: cabinet · present · suit · band · fine · spring · file · straw

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. suit — in cards
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. present — a gift
  5. file — a line of people
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — all right
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. file — a tool
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. present — there
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. band — a music group
  18. band — a ring
  19. spring — of water
  20. spring — the season
  21. spring — a coil
  22. present — the time now
  23. suit — clothes
  24. suit — to fit

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