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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. suit — clothes
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. suit — in cards
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. suit — to fit
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. kid — child
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. ground — crushed
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. snap — to click
  21. ground — a position
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. ground — the earth

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