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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: bay · bat · wind · nail · temple · hand · object · cabinet

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. wind — moving air
  6. object — to protest
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. object — a thing
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. hand — help
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. hand — in cards
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. object — an aim
  22. wind — moving air
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bat — the animal

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