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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 116 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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. court — of law
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. court — of a king
  10. clip — to cut
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. kid — to tease
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. clip — a video
  16. rock — a stone
  17. clip — for paper
  18. kid — child
  19. bat — the animal
  20. rock — music
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. court — for sport
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. rock — to move gently

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