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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cabinet · snap · mouse · land · mate · bay · stand · kid

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. snap — to click
  6. land — ground
  7. mate — a friend
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. mate — a partner
  12. land — a country
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. stand — to bear
  15. kid — to tease
  16. kid — child
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. land — to come down
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. mate — to breed

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