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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. stand — to bear
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. kid — child
  7. fork — in a road
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. last — to go on
  10. kid — to tease
  11. last — finally
  12. chest — of your body
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. last — final
  16. chest — of your body
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — a place of worship

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