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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. ground — the earth
  3. kid — to tease
  4. cue — a signal
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. cue — for pool
  9. land — to come down
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. kid — child
  13. hand — help
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hand — in cards
  19. land — a country
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. ground — crushed
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. ground — a position
  24. land — ground

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