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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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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: nail · tear · cabinet · object · stem · lean · drill · cue

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — from crying
  4. drill — army training
  5. lean — thin
  6. cue — a hint
  7. drill — the tool
  8. object — a thing
  9. drill — a practice
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. tear — to rip
  13. lean — to bend
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. cue — for pool
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. cue — a signal
  18. object — to protest
  19. stem — to come from
  20. object — an aim
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. nail — for a hammer

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