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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: rash · cabinet · last · roll · ball · nail · firm · wake

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. last — final
  3. wake — a trail
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. last — to go on
  8. rash — a series
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. firm — steady
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. ball — a great time
  14. firm — decided
  15. roll — a cake
  16. roll — a list
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rash — hasty
  19. last — finally
  20. firm — a company
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. ball — a round shape

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