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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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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: snap · can · key · file · cap · cabinet · bay · band

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. file — a tool
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. can — a tin
  8. cap — of ice
  9. key — in music
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. file — a line of people
  15. band — a ring
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. key — the most important part
  18. can — a tin
  19. band — a music group
  20. file — a document
  21. snap — to click
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — a hat
  24. can — to be able to

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