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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
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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: saw · bay · object · lie · cabinet · key · clip · field

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. field — for sport
  3. object — a thing
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. clip — for paper
  6. clip — a video
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. field — farmland
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. saw — the tool
  12. lie — to recline
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. key — for a lock
  17. clip — to cut
  18. object — to protest
  19. saw — the tool
  20. field — a subject
  21. object — an aim
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. key — in music

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