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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. kid — child
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. stand — to bear
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. last — finally
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. last — final
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. last — to go on
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. lie — to recline
  24. foot — a measure

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