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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 · wound · last · key · court · rest · tube · mouse

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. wound — an injury
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. key — for a lock
  5. last — to go on
  6. court — of law
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. court — for sport
  9. rest — a break
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. rest — what's left
  13. court — of a king
  14. last — finally
  15. rest — what's left
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. wound — an injury
  18. key — in music
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. tube — the underground
  21. key — the most important part
  22. last — final
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. tube — a container

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