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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: jam · nail · scale · tear · race · chest · staff · cabinet

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. race — the arms race
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. staff — employees
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — of your body
  9. race — a contest
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. staff — employees
  12. chest — a box
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. staff — a stick
  16. race — humankind
  17. scale — in music
  18. tear — from crying
  19. scale — size or range
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. tear — to rip
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. tear — from crying

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