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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: cell · chest · cabinet · file · rush · bark · can · suit

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — a box
  5. suit — in cards
  6. bark — to shout
  7. suit — to fit
  8. can — a tin
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. cell — in biology
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. cell — a phone
  13. file — a document
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. chest — of your body
  17. file — a tool
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. can — to be able to
  20. suit — clothes
  21. rush — hurry
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. file — a line of people

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