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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 116 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: trunk · land · rest · key · file · hide · bowl · chip

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. key — in music
  5. land — ground
  6. file — a document
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. land — to come down
  9. chip — for betting
  10. key — for a lock
  11. rest — a break
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. file — a tool
  14. file — a line of people
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. key — the most important part
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. rest — what's left
  21. chip — to eat
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. land — a country

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