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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. object — a thing
  3. saw — the tool
  4. lie — to recline
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. last — final
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cap — a hat
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. kid — to tease
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. last — to go on
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. cap — of ice
  17. object — an aim
  18. cap — a lid
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. object — to protest
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. last — finally

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