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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: rush · lean · bowl · cabinet · field · cap · nail · rule

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. field — a subject
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. rule — a law
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. rush — hurry
  11. field — for sport
  12. field — farmland
  13. lean — thin
  14. rule — government
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cap — of ice
  23. lean — to bend
  24. rule — to rule out

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