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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 · rule · object · mark · rash · nail · bass · file

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. bass — low music
  3. rash — a series
  4. object — an aim
  5. mark — a grade
  6. object — to protest
  7. rule — a law
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. file — a document
  11. rule — government
  12. file — a line of people
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. mark — a trace
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. file — a tool
  21. object — a thing
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bass — the fish
  24. mark — to pay attention

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