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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.

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: spring · mate · mark · chest · nail · cabinet · object · mouse

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. chest — a box
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — a partner
  8. chest — of your body
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. spring — a coil
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. object — a thing
  13. spring — the season
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. mate — to breed
  16. object — to protest
  17. spring — of water
  18. chest — of your body
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. object — an aim
  24. mouse — the animal

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