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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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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: jam · can · cabinet · date · wind · key · ruler · chest

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. wind — moving air
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. date — the fruit
  5. chest — of your body
  6. key — for a lock
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wind — moving air
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. key — in music
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. chest — a box
  15. can — a tin
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. key — the most important part
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. can — a tin
  24. chest — of your body

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