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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: nail · mine · squash · kid · root · staff · bound · arm

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. staff — a stick
  3. squash — to crush
  4. staff — employees
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. root — of a word
  7. mine — for digging
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. root — of a plant
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. bound — obliged
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. kid — to tease
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bound — certain
  18. squash — the sport
  19. staff — employees
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. kid — child
  23. root — the cause
  24. arm — part of the body

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