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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: cabinet · lean · march · can · ball · file · nail · cap

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. file — a tool
  4. march — the month
  5. file — a document
  6. ball — a great time
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. lean — to bend
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cap — of ice
  13. can — to be able to
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. march — the month
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. lean — thin
  20. file — a line of people
  21. march — music
  22. can — a tin
  23. ball — a dance
  24. can — a tin

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