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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. fork — in a road
  4. kid — child
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. field — farmland
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. can — to be able to
  9. kid — to tease
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. field — for sport
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. field — a subject
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. can — a tin
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. can — a tin

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