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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. prune — to trim
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. kid — to tease
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. lie — to recline
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. prune — to trim
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. foot — a measure
  24. coach — a trainer

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