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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: land · key · rush · trunk · suit · wound · bay · file

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. suit — to fit
  3. key — in music
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. land — ground
  10. key — for a lock
  11. file — a tool
  12. suit — clothes
  13. wound — an injury
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. file — a document
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. suit — in cards
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. land — to come down
  20. key — the most important part
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. file — a line of people
  24. rush — hurry

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