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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 120 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: perch · game · dip · chest · nail · cabinet · mine · ruler

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  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. chest — of your body
  2. game — wild animals
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. chest — a box
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. game — a match
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. mine — for digging
  15. dip — to sink
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. chest — of your body
  18. perch — the fish
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. dip — to dunk
  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