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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.

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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 · firm · wake · coach · straw · kid · ruler · pit

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. pit — a hole
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. kid — to tease
  5. kid — child
  6. firm — steady
  7. pit — in a race
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. wake — a trail
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. firm — a company
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. firm — decided

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