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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.

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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: plane · leaves · tear · key · mug · cabinet · bat · wake

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bat — the animal
  4. mug — a cup
  5. wake — a trail
  6. mug — to rob
  7. key — in music
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. key — the most important part
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. tear — from crying
  16. mug — a face
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. key — for a lock
  23. plane — a tool
  24. tear — from crying

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