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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. kid — child
  5. bulb — for light
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. suit — to fit
  11. suit — in cards
  12. suit — clothes
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. cold — an illness
  15. kid — to tease
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. cold — not warm
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. craft — a skill
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. craft — boats
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. bulb — for light

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