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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. key — the most important part
  3. present — there
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. key — in music
  7. pit — a hole
  8. sharp — clever
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. bank — of a river
  14. pit — in a race
  15. wake — a trail
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. present — a gift
  18. bank — for money
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. key — for a lock
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. present — the time now
  23. bank — for money
  24. wake — before a funeral

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