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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. can — a tin
  4. kid — child
  5. object — to protest
  6. present — the time now
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. sharp — clever
  10. can — a tin
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. present — a gift
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. present — there
  15. object — a thing
  16. kid — to tease
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. can — to be able to
  24. object — an aim

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