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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: trunk · rash · bay · cabinet · nail · roll · kid · spring

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. roll — a cake
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. spring — the season
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. kid — child
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — a series
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. kid — to tease
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. spring — a coil
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. roll — a list
  24. spring — of water

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