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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.

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: cabinet · land · jam · tube · straw · kid · craft · mouse

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. tube — the underground
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. tube — a container
  9. kid — to tease
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. land — ground
  14. craft — boats
  15. land — a country
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. kid — child
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. land — to come down
  24. craft — a skill

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