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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. chip — for betting
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. tube — a container
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. kid — child
  8. chip — to eat
  9. tube — the underground
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mark — a trace
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. kid — to tease
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. mark — a grade
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. cabinet — ministers

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