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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.

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: clip · cabinet · ball · last · wake · ruler · key · trunk

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. clip — to cut
  4. last — to go on
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. last — finally
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. wake — a trail
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. key — in music
  13. ball — a dance
  14. last — final
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. clip — a video
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. ball — a great time
  22. clip — for paper
  23. key — the most important part
  24. key — for a lock

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