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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: cap · key · current · cabinet · leaves · fall · pop · chest

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. fall — the season
  3. chest — of your body
  4. pop — soda
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. current — of water
  9. key — the most important part
  10. cap — a hat
  11. chest — a box
  12. key — in music
  13. current — happening now
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. cap — a lid
  16. fall — to drop
  17. current — electric
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. pop — music
  20. pop — to visit
  21. chest — of your body
  22. cap — of ice
  23. fall — to drop
  24. key — for a lock

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