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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 120 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: foot · bark · rash · row · cabinet · coach · nail · suit

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — a series
  5. suit — to fit
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. row — a line
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. foot — a measure
  12. row — to paddle
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. suit — in cards
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. suit — clothes
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. bark — to shout
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. foot — part of the body
  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