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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: land · cabinet · deal · hand · mark · nail · stem · net

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. land — to come down
  4. mark — a grade
  5. hand — help
  6. stem — to come from
  7. net — in sport
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. land — ground
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. deal — to handle
  12. net — after costs
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. net — for catching
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. land — a country
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. hand — in cards
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — to pay attention

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