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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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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 · stick · trunk · bowl · race · sharp · wake · key

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. key — in music
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. sharp — clever
  10. key — for a lock
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. wake — a trail
  16. key — the most important part
  17. race — the arms race
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. race — a contest
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. race — humankind

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