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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
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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: date · cabinet · lean · stick · nail · march · content · fine

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. date — the fruit
  4. fine — all right
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. lean — to bend
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. march — music
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fine — high quality
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. content — the amount
  16. lean — thin
  17. march — the month
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. content — happy
  22. march — the month
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. cabinet — ministers

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