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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.

Make a worksheet

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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468
Word bank
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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. rash — a series
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. kid — to tease
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. toast — bread
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. lean — thin
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. lean — to bend
  13. deal — to handle
  14. kid — child
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rash — hasty
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. mouse — the animal

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