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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 116 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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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 · stick · wave · drill · file · craft · present · cap

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. file — a document
  3. craft — a skill
  4. drill — a practice
  5. cap — of ice
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. present — the time now
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. drill — army training
  13. file — a tool
  14. craft — boats
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. present — there
  18. cap — a hat
  19. file — a line of people
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. drill — the tool

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