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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
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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: fan · nail · bore · date · cap · roll · cabinet · cell

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. cap — of ice
  4. roll — a cake
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. date — the fruit
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. bore — to tire
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. cell — in biology
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bore — to drill
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. cell — a phone
  22. cap — a lid
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. roll — a list

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