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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: club · mouse · cabinet · nail · wake · trunk · stand · date

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. date — the fruit
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. club — for dancing
  13. club — for golf
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. club — a group
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. mouse — for a computer

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