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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bear — the animal
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. dip — to sink
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bear — the animal
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. ball — a great time
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. ball — a dance
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. kid — to tease

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