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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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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: bay · can · cabinet · bat · nail · kid · safe · file

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  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. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. file — a document
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. can — to be able to
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. file — a line of people
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. file — a tool
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. kid — to tease
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. safe — out of danger
  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