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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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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: last · present · jam · tear · coach · cell · file · cabinet

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. cell — in biology
  5. present — there
  6. last — to go on
  7. file — a document
  8. last — finally
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. tear — from crying
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. tear — from crying
  13. cell — a phone
  14. last — final
  15. file — a line of people
  16. file — a tool
  17. present — a gift
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. present — the time now
  21. tear — to rip
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. cabinet — ministers

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