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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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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: fall · cold · nail · cabinet · mine · rule · deal · racket

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cold — an illness
  7. deal — to handle
  8. fall — the season
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. fall — to drop
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. rule — government
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. cold — not warm
  19. fall — to drop
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. rule — a law
  23. mine — for digging
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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