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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: suit · rest · trunk · tube · cabinet · stick · hide · charge

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. tube — a container
  4. suit — to fit
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. charge — a price
  8. rest — what's left
  9. charge — electricity
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. suit — clothes
  14. tube — the underground
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. suit — in cards
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. rest — what's left
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. charge — in control
  24. hide — to keep secret

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