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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. present — the time now
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. mine — for digging
  6. kid — to tease
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. mate — a partner
  9. present — a gift
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. mug — a cup
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mug — to rob
  16. mug — a face
  17. mate — to breed
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. present — there
  21. rush — hurry
  22. kid — child
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. rush — to hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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