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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: cabinet · roll · nail · pass · bear · key · rest · game

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. roll — a cake
  5. pass — a permit
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. bear — the animal
  8. key — in music
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. game — a match
  12. key — for a lock
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rest — a break
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. roll — a list
  19. rest — what's left
  20. key — the most important part
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. game — wild animals
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pass — to spend time

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