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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: fall · foot · rash · scale · nail · cap · rush · saw

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. fall — to drop
  4. scale — size or range
  5. fall — the season
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. cap — of ice
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. scale — in music
  15. rush — hurry
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. foot — a measure
  18. rash — a series
  19. fall — to drop
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cap — a hat
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. saw — the tool

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