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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: trunk · last · file · cabinet · staff · snap · dip · pitch

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. dip — to sink
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. file — a document
  10. staff — employees
  11. last — finally
  12. file — a line of people
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. snap — to click
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — a stick
  21. file — a tool
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. last — to go on

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