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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: season · cabinet · mark · bulb · kid · current · key · straw

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. current — electric
  3. key — the most important part
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. season — of the year
  6. current — of water
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. key — for a lock
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. kid — child
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. current — happening now
  13. bulb — for light
  14. season — in sport
  15. mark — a grade
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. kid — to tease
  19. mark — a trace
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. key — in music
  24. straw — dry grass

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