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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. wound — an injury
  4. kid — child
  5. scale — size or range
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. lie — to recline
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bank — for money
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. scale — in music
  19. wound — an injury
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. kid — to tease
  22. bank — for money
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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