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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: cabinet · cell · branch · drill · key · wave · bound · race

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. bound — certain
  3. drill — a practice
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. key — the most important part
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. branch — a division
  10. race — the arms race
  11. race — a contest
  12. key — for a lock
  13. drill — the tool
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. race — humankind
  17. bound — obliged
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. cell — in biology
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. drill — army training
  22. cell — a phone
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. bound — tied together

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