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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: bulb · lie · mine · rule · cabinet · can · file · trunk

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. file — a tool
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. can — a tin
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. can — a tin
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. file — a line of people
  11. rule — a law
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. file — a document
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rule — government
  19. bulb — for light
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. mine — for digging
  22. can — to be able to
  23. lie — to recline
  24. trunk — of a tree

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