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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
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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: cabinet · craft · leaves · key · present · rule · clip · prune

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — for a lock
  5. clip — for paper
  6. craft — boats
  7. present — the time now
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. clip — to cut
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. rule — government
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rule — a law
  20. clip — a video
  21. craft — a skill
  22. key — in music
  23. present — there
  24. prune — to trim

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