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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: scale · pass · nail · cabinet · snap · rock · cold · rash

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. snap — to click
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. cold — not warm
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. rock — a stone
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. scale — size or range
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. scale — in music
  18. cold — an illness
  19. rash — hasty
  20. pass — a permit
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. rock — music
  24. rash — a series

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