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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: prune · chest · cabinet · mouse · nail · row · bass · bulb

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. row — to paddle
  3. chest — of your body
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bass — the fish
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bass — low music
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bulb — for light
  11. chest — a box
  12. bulb — for light
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. prune — to trim
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. chest — of your body
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. row — a line

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