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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: wound · rash · lie · wake · cabinet · key · arm · hand

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. rash — a series
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — in music
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. wound — an injury
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wound — an injury
  13. lie — to recline
  14. hand — in cards
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wake — a trail
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rash — hasty
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. hand — help
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. key — for a lock
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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