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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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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: key · spell · saw · jam · cabinet · chest · rule · snap

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. snap — to click
  3. key — in music
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. spell — a short time
  6. rule — a law
  7. chest — a box
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. chest — of your body
  11. key — for a lock
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. spell — magic
  14. chest — of your body
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. spell — letters
  17. key — the most important part
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. saw — the tool
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. rule — government

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