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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. suit — clothes
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. kid — child
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. band — a ring
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — clever
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. root — of a plant
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. suit — to fit
  16. band — a music group
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. root — of a word
  20. kid — to tease
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. suit — in cards
  23. root — the cause
  24. nail — for a hammer

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