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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: straw · wave · cabinet · can · key · drill · pass · cold

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. drill — the tool
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. key — in music
  6. drill — a practice
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pass — a permit
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. key — for a lock
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. can — a tin
  18. cold — an illness
  19. drill — army training
  20. can — a tin
  21. cold — not warm
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. key — the most important part
  24. can — to be able to

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