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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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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — to handle
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. drill — the tool
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. drill — army training
  13. drill — a practice
  14. chip — for betting
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. chip — to eat
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. kid — child
  23. kid — to tease
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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