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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
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: cabinet · nail · tube · stick · game · arm · squash · mark

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  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. arm — part of the body
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. game — wild animals
  4. mark — a trace
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. game — a match
  8. squash — to crush
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. squash — the sport
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. tube — a container
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. tube — the underground
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. tube — in a tire
  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