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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: nail · hand · cap · lean · season · scale · firm · present

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. cap — of ice
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. scale — in music
  5. cap — a hat
  6. hand — in cards
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. firm — decided
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. lean — thin
  11. hand — help
  12. cap — a lid
  13. season — in sport
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. present — a gift
  16. season — of the year
  17. lean — to bend
  18. scale — size or range
  19. present — the time now
  20. firm — a company
  21. firm — steady
  22. present — there
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. season — to add flavour

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