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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: foot · current · nail · cabinet · scale · mate · arm · wake

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. current — happening now
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. scale — size or range
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. current — of water
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. foot — a measure
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. wake — a trail
  15. mate — a friend
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. current — electric
  19. mate — a partner
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. scale — in music
  24. mate — to breed

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