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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 · fall · scale · cue · shower · fine · board · trunk

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. scale — size or range
  3. fine — all right
  4. cue — a signal
  5. shower — to wash
  6. fall — the season
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cue — a hint
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. scale — in music
  12. cue — for pool
  13. fall — to drop
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. board — a committee
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. shower — rain
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. fine — high quality
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. fall — to drop

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