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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
468
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: hide · capital · cabinet · file · nail · key · clip · cue

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  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. key — in music
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. capital — a city
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. file — a line of people
  6. key — the most important part
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. key — for a lock
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. clip — to cut
  12. capital — money
  13. clip — for paper
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. file — a tool
  20. cue — for pool
  21. file — a document
  22. clip — a video
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. cabinet — ministers

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