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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. saw — the tool
  5. kid — to tease
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. deal — to handle
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. kid — child
  17. date — the fruit
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. mine — for digging
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. date — on the calendar

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