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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: band · trunk · cabinet · hide · land · file · kick · staff

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. staff — employees
  3. kick — in football
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. land — a country
  11. band — a ring
  12. land — to come down
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. file — a tool
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. file — a line of people
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. staff — employees
  19. file — a document
  20. band — a music group
  21. staff — a stick
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. hide — animal skin

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