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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: nail · straw · spell · face · cabinet · date · arm · cap

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. spell — letters
  5. cap — of ice
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. face — part of the head
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. face — to confront
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. cap — a hat
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — the fruit
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. cap — a lid
  19. face — to point toward
  20. spell — magic
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. spell — a short time
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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