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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: spell · mouse · nail · chair · kid · row · cap · stock

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. kid — to tease
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. cap — a hat
  7. row — to paddle
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — letters
  12. cap — a lid
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. kid — child
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. stock — goods
  18. spell — a short time
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. chair — a leader
  21. stock — shares
  22. row — a line
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. cap — of ice

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