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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: key · chair · saw · rush · stem · cabinet · craft · cap

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. key — the most important part
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. craft — a skill
  6. key — in music
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rush — hurry
  9. key — for a lock
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. craft — boats
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cap — of ice
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. chair — a leader
  19. saw — the tool
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. stem — of a plant

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