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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 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. 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 — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. season — of the year
  3. track — a path
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. root — of a word
  6. mate — a partner
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. season — in sport
  9. kid — child
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. mate — to breed
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. root — the cause
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. mate — a friend
  19. track — a song
  20. track — to keep track
  21. root — of a plant
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. 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