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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
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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: staff · kid · bulb · deal · chest · rash · scale · nail

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. chest — of your body
  4. deal — to handle
  5. chest — of your body
  6. staff — employees
  7. scale — in music
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. rash — hasty
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rash — a series
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. kid — to tease
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. staff — employees
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. chest — a box
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. scale — size or range
  23. staff — a stick
  24. kid — child

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