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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 120 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: key · game · row · cabinet · plane · tube · trunk · staff

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. tube — a container
  6. game — a match
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. staff — employees
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. game — wild animals
  11. staff — employees
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. staff — a stick
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. key — for a lock
  17. row — a line
  18. key — the most important part
  19. row — to paddle
  20. tube — the underground
  21. plane — a tool
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. key — in music
  24. trunk — of a car

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