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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. staff — employees
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. chest — a box
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. season — in sport
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. chest — of your body
  14. squash — to crush
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. season — of the year
  18. squash — the sport
  19. chest — of your body
  20. staff — employees
  21. kid — to tease
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. staff — a stick

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