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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was 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. chest — a box
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. prune — to trim
  6. march — the month
  7. march — the month
  8. kid — to tease
  9. wind — moving air
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. march — music
  13. wind — moving air
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. chest — of your body
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. chest — of your body
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. prune — to trim
  24. kid — child

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