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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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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 · court · nail · cold · kid · hide · root · stick

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. root — of a word
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a plant
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. cold — not warm
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. kid — to tease
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. court — for sport
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. kid — child
  20. court — of law
  21. court — of a king
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. cold — an illness

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