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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. tear — from crying
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. kid — child
  11. mine — for digging
  12. tear — from crying
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. deal — to handle
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pass — a permit
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. kid — to tease
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. tear — to rip

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