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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rash · saw · cap · stem · nail · mate · cabinet · arm

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. cap — a lid
  3. mate — a friend
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. stem — to come from
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mate — a partner
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. cap — of ice
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. cap — a hat
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. saw — the tool
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. mate — to breed
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. rash — a series
  23. arm — part of the body
  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