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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 a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  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. cold — an illness
  2. cold — not warm
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. kid — to tease
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. chest — a box
  7. chest — of your body
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. lean — to bend
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. fork — in a road
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. chest — of your body
  19. kid — child
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. lean — thin
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. safe — out of danger
  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