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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 116 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 · craft · wake · staff · fall · cue · bass · key

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  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. craft — boats
  2. bass — low music
  3. craft — a skill
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — the fish
  7. cue — for pool
  8. fall — to drop
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. key — in music
  12. wake — a trail
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. staff — employees
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. cue — a hint
  18. staff — a stick
  19. fall — to drop
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. fall — the season
  22. key — the most important part
  23. staff — employees
  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