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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. key — for a lock
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. cap — a hat
  6. key — the most important part
  7. cap — of ice
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. cap — a lid
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. kid — to tease
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. mate — to breed
  15. kid — child
  16. sharp — clever
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. key — in music
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. stand — to bear
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. mate — a partner
  24. temple — a place of worship

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