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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. kid — child
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. mug — a face
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pop — to visit
  11. mug — a cup
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. pop — music
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. pop — soda
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. kid — to tease
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. mug — to rob

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