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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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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: swing · cabinet · stick · key · board · trunk · foot · file

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. swing — music
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. swing — to play on
  6. file — a line of people
  7. file — a document
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. key — for a lock
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. foot — a measure
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — to get on
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. board — a committee
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. swing — in golf
  22. key — the most important part
  23. file — a tool
  24. key — in music

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