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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: bulb · land · snap · stand · deal · key · cabinet · wake

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. land — ground
  3. key — in music
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. deal — to handle
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bulb — for light
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. land — a country
  14. stand — to bear
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. land — to come down
  18. key — for a lock
  19. bulb — for light
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wake — a trail
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. snap — to click
  24. key — the most important part

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