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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: cabinet · spell · kick · hand · cue · tube · nail · stock

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. stock — shares
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. cue — a signal
  7. kick — in football
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. hand — in cards
  13. stock — goods
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. cue — for pool
  19. hand — help
  20. cue — a hint
  21. spell — a short time
  22. tube — the underground
  23. tube — a container
  24. spell — magic

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