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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: fine · degree · chair · nail · bear · wound · fall · cabinet

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fall — to drop
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. fine — all right
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. degree — temperature
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. degree — an amount
  9. bear — the animal
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fine — high quality
  13. wound — an injury
  14. degree — from a university
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bear — the animal
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. fall — the season
  22. chair — a leader
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bear — to put up with

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