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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: cabinet · ruler · arm · stick · lean · pop · season · key

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. season — in sport
  6. lean — thin
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pop — to visit
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. key — for a lock
  11. lean — to bend
  12. key — in music
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. season — of the year
  15. key — the most important part
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. pop — soda
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. pop — music

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