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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: suit · trunk · cabinet · pound · dip · nail · saw · bat

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. saw — the tool
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. saw — the tool
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. suit — clothes
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. suit — in cards
  13. suit — to fit
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bat — the animal
  17. pound — a weight
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. dip — to sink
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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