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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 116 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: mark · rush · cabinet · cold · trunk · nail · patient · cue

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. mark — a trace
  3. cue — a hint
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. cold — an illness
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. mark — a grade
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. cue — a signal
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. cold — not warm
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. patient — a sick person

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