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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: clip · track · fan · spell · can · wake · scale · cabinet

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. spell — magic
  3. can — to be able to
  4. wake — a trail
  5. scale — in music
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. spell — letters
  8. clip — for paper
  9. track — to keep track
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. track — a path
  13. clip — to cut
  14. scale — size or range
  15. clip — a video
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. can — a tin
  19. track — a song
  20. spell — a short time
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. can — a tin
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. cabinet — ministers

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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