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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: wax · cabinet · fine · clip · key · hand · pass · straw

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. clip — for paper
  4. hand — help
  5. key — in music
  6. clip — to cut
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. fine — high quality
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. key — the most important part
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. hand — in cards
  15. fine — all right
  16. clip — a video
  17. pass — a permit
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. key — for a lock
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wax — to grow
  24. hand — part of the body

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