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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: nail · staff · key · craft · cabinet · tube · cue · fan

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. key — the most important part
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. staff — employees
  5. tube — a container
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. staff — a stick
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. craft — boats
  16. cue — a hint
  17. key — for a lock
  18. cue — for pool
  19. staff — employees
  20. craft — a skill
  21. key — in music
  22. tube — the underground
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. nail — for a hammer

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