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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: club · spring · bear · cabinet · nail · deal · file · bay

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. file — a line of people
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. spring — of water
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for dancing
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. file — a tool
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. deal — to handle
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. file — a document
  19. spring — a coil
  20. club — for golf
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. spring — the season
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. deal — an agreement

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