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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. kid — to tease
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. lean — thin
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. lean — to bend
  9. dip — to sink
  10. track — a song
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. track — a path
  15. kid — child
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. track — to keep track
  18. dip — to dunk

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