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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cap · cell · nail · mine · mark · scale · file · mouse

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. cap — a hat
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. file — a document
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. cell — a phone
  11. file — a tool
  12. cell — in biology
  13. mine — for digging
  14. scale — size or range
  15. file — a line of people
  16. mark — a trace
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. scale — in music
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cap — of ice

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