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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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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: sharp · cabinet · lean · stick · key · hand · rule · board

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. key — in music
  4. sharp — clever
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rule — government
  9. rule — a law
  10. hand — help
  11. board — to get on
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. board — a committee
  17. lean — to bend
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. key — the most important part
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. hand — in cards
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to rest against

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