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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: spring · cabinet · cell · season · staff · nail · pass · chip

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. season — in sport
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pass — a permit
  6. cell — a phone
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. staff — a stick
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. spring — the season
  14. staff — employees
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. season — of the year
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. spring — of water
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. cell — in biology
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. staff — employees
  23. spring — a coil
  24. chip — to eat

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