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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pound · trunk · track · nail · cabinet · leaves · cue · cold

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. cold — not warm
  5. pound — a weight
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cold — an illness
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a song
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. leaves — of a tree

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