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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. sharp — clever
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. spring — a coil
  7. kid — child
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. kid — to tease
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. spring — of water
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. spring — the season
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. deal — to handle
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. pass — a permit

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