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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: cabinet · season · cue · lie · nail · rash · wound · fall

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. rash — hasty
  4. cue — a signal
  5. wound — an injury
  6. cue — for pool
  7. wound — an injury
  8. lie — to recline
  9. cue — a hint
  10. rash — a series
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. season — of the year
  14. fall — the season
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. fall — to drop
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. fall — to drop
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. cabinet — ministers

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