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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. kick — in football
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. pound — a weight
  7. kid — to tease
  8. mine — for digging
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. sharp — clever
  11. kid — child
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. sharp — with an edge

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