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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: bowl · chip · kid · mug · rest · cabinet · rock · nail

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — to rob
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. rest — a break
  8. mug — a face
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. chip — for betting
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. kid — child
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. rock — music
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. rock — a stone
  21. kid — to tease
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. rock — to move gently

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