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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: mouse · mark · staff · nail · row · rash · cabinet · stem

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. row — a line
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. staff — employees
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. stem — to come from
  8. mark — a grade
  9. row — to paddle
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rash — a series
  13. staff — a stick
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. staff — employees
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. nail — for a hammer

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