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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: fall · ruler · craft · chest · key · cabinet · hand · lean

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. key — in music
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. chest — a box
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. hand — in cards
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. craft — boats
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. lean — to bend
  14. fall — to drop
  15. chest — of your body
  16. hand — help
  17. fall — the season
  18. key — for a lock
  19. chest — of your body
  20. lean — thin
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. key — the most important part
  24. fall — to drop

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