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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
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 · bat · spell · tube · race · key · date · toast

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. spell — magic
  3. race — humankind
  4. tube — the underground
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. spell — a short time
  8. race — the arms race
  9. key — for a lock
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — in music
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. race — a contest
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. toast — bread
  19. spell — letters
  20. bat — the animal
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — the fruit

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