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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: nail · trunk · mark · staff · wake · rash · cabinet · spring

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mark — a trace
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. staff — employees
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — a stick
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. rash — a series
  15. spring — the season
  16. wake — a trail
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — of water
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. rash — hasty
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. mark — a grade

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