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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: chair · can · rush · tube · cabinet · mine · nail · board

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. chair — a leader
  7. tube — the underground
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. tube — a container
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. board — a committee
  13. can — to be able to
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. board — to get on
  17. can — a tin
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. mine — for digging
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. can — a tin

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