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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: hand · cabinet · firm · nail · bark · fork · band · key

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. firm — a company
  3. band — a ring
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. hand — help
  9. hand — in cards
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. firm — steady
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. key — the most important part
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. key — in music
  18. band — a music group
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. firm — decided
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bark — to shout
  23. key — for a lock
  24. fork — in a road

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