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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: toast · track · snap · key · mate · cabinet · craft · file

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. file — a document
  4. track — a song
  5. mate — a friend
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. file — a tool
  9. toast — bread
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a path
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. craft — boats
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. key — the most important part
  17. mate — a partner
  18. craft — a skill
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. key — in music
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. file — a line of people
  23. snap — to click
  24. mate — to breed

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