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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
468
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: wake · leaves · lie · swing · cabinet · band · scale · key

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. key — in music
  7. band — a ring
  8. scale — size or range
  9. swing — to play on
  10. key — the most important part
  11. key — for a lock
  12. lie — to recline
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. swing — in golf
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. swing — music
  21. scale — in music
  22. wake — a trail
  23. band — a music group
  24. leaves — 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