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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: mine · trunk · pound · present · cue · hand · cabinet · nail

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. pound — a weight
  4. hand — help
  5. present — the time now
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. cue — a signal
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. hand — in cards
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. present — there
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. present — a gift
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. mine — for digging

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