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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: mine · mate · prune · fall · cabinet · key · cap · straw

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. key — in music
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. fall — the season
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cap — a lid
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cap — a hat
  13. key — for a lock
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. cap — of ice
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mate — a friend
  20. prune — to trim
  21. key — the most important part
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. fall — to drop
  24. mate — a partner

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