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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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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: mouse · fork · nail · kid · bear · fine · foot · rush

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. fine — all right
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bear — the animal
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. fine — high quality
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. rush — hurry
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. kid — child
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. fork — in a road
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. kid — to tease
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bear — the animal
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. foot — a measure

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