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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: press · mouse · kid · nail · perch · deal · cabinet · firm

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. kid — child
  3. firm — steady
  4. firm — a company
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. deal — to handle
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. firm — decided
  13. press — to push
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. press — a publisher
  16. kid — to tease
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. press — newspapers
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. perch — the fish
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. cabinet — ministers

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