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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: file · cabinet · can · trunk · race · wound · stand · craft

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. craft — boats
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. race — the arms race
  5. wound — an injury
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. race — humankind
  10. file — a line of people
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. craft — a skill
  13. race — a contest
  14. file — a document
  15. can — to be able to
  16. file — a tool
  17. can — a tin
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. can — a tin
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. wound — an injury

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