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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: rest · cold · plane · bowl · key · can · swing · cabinet

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. key — in music
  3. swing — in golf
  4. rest — what's left
  5. swing — to play on
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. can — to be able to
  8. cold — not warm
  9. rest — what's left
  10. swing — music
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. key — the most important part
  15. can — a tin
  16. plane — a tool
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. can — a tin
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. cold — an illness
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. rest — a break
  24. cabinet — ministers

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