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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.

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: cabinet · saw · tube · chair · snap · sharp · key · drill

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. snap — to click
  4. sharp — clever
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. saw — the tool
  7. drill — the tool
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. tube — a container
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. chair — a leader
  16. key — the most important part
  17. tube — the underground
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — in music
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. drill — a practice
  24. drill — army training

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