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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: leaves · cabinet · perch · key · bass · calf · craft · snap

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the fish
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. craft — boats
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. perch — the fish
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. craft — a skill
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. key — in music
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. key — for a lock

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