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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: cabinet · nail · jam · fine · mark · fall · rock · cold

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. cold — an illness
  4. fall — the season
  5. rock — music
  6. fall — to drop
  7. mark — a grade
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cold — not warm
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. fine — high quality
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. fall — to drop
  21. rock — a stone
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. mark — a trace

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