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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.

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: wake · game · key · wound · saw · rest · court · cabinet

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. game — wild animals
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. game — a match
  7. court — of a king
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wound — an injury
  10. key — for a lock
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. rest — what's left
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — in music
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. court — for sport
  19. rest — what's left
  20. wound — an injury
  21. rest — a break
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. court — of law

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