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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: cabinet · bowl · key · dip · rest · net · board · rush

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. rest — a break
  3. key — the most important part
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. key — for a lock
  8. rest — what's left
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — to get on
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. net — after costs
  16. dip — to sink
  17. key — in music
  18. rest — what's left
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. net — for catching
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rush — hurry
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. net — in sport

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