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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.

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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: cell · cabinet · dip · craft · pound · fall · game · nail

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  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. game — a match
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. fall — to drop
  4. cell — a phone
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. fall — to drop
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. dip — to sink
  13. game — wild animals
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. cell — in biology
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. craft — a skill
  20. fall — the season
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. pound — a weight
  23. craft — boats
  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