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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.

Make a worksheet

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: nail · firm · ruler · cold · bass · lash · rush · cabinet

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. cold — not warm
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. rush — hurry
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. cold — an illness
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bass — low music
  20. bass — the fish
  21. firm — a company
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. firm — steady

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