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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: mark · nail · cold · foot · mine · bass · leaves · cabinet

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bass — the fish
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cold — an illness
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. cold — not warm
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. foot — a measure
  15. bass — low music
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. mine — for digging
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. mark — a grade
  24. foot — the bottom

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