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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: tube · cabinet · board · saw · nail · fan · club · fall

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. club — for dancing
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. club — a group
  5. fall — the season
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. saw — the tool
  8. tube — a container
  9. saw — the tool
  10. tube — the underground
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a committee
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. fall — to drop
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. fall — to drop
  22. club — for golf
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. fan — to cool the air

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