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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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: straw · key · wake · nail · bark · cabinet · racket · spring

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. spring — the season
  3. key — for a lock
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. key — in music
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bark — to shout
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. key — the most important part
  15. wake — a trail
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. spring — a coil
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. spring — of water
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. nail — for a hammer

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