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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  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. sharp — exactly
  2. kid — child
  3. face — to confront
  4. tube — the underground
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. rash — a series
  7. rash — hasty
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. tube — a container
  10. wind — moving air
  11. kid — to tease
  12. face — part of the head
  13. mug — a cup
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. sharp — clever
  18. face — to point toward
  19. mug — a face
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. mug — to rob
  22. wind — moving air
  23. rash — on the skin
  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