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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.

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: cabinet · hand · nail · rush · branch · scale · wound · mouse

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. hand — help
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. scale — size or range
  11. wound — an injury
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. rush — hurry
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. branch — a division
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. wound — an injury
  22. hand — in cards
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. cabinet — ministers

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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