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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: cold · cabinet · prune · arm · key · squash · bay · plane

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. key — in music
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. plane — a tool
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. prune — to trim
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. prune — to trim
  16. squash — the sport
  17. squash — to crush
  18. key — for a lock
  19. cold — an illness
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. key — the most important part
  24. cold — not warm

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