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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 120 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: wave · cold · safe · trunk · key · club · degree · cabinet

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. key — in music
  3. key — for a lock
  4. cold — not warm
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. key — the most important part
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. club — for dancing
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. club — for golf
  12. cold — an illness
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. club — a group
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. degree — an amount
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. degree — temperature
  22. degree — from a university
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. safe — out of danger

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