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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: mate · key · chair · bay · fall · nail · present · kid

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. present — the time now
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. kid — child
  5. mate — a partner
  6. key — for a lock
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. fall — to drop
  9. present — a gift
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. mate — a friend
  13. kid — to tease
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. key — in music
  17. chair — a leader
  18. key — the most important part
  19. fall — the season
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. mate — to breed
  22. present — there
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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