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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 116 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: craft · cabinet · rest · board · bound · kid · nail · ground

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. kid — child
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. craft — a skill
  6. craft — boats
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — certain
  9. kid — to tease
  10. rest — what's left
  11. board — to get on
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — the earth
  14. board — a committee
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. rest — what's left
  17. ground — crushed
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bound — obliged
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. rest — a break

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