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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 120 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: wind · pop · cabinet · kid · bear · key · suit · nail

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. suit — in cards
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — moving air
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. key — in music
  10. key — the most important part
  11. suit — to fit
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pop — soda
  14. pop — to visit
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. suit — clothes
  19. bear — the animal
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pop — music
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. kid — to tease
  24. kid — child

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