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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. kid — child
  6. stand — to bear
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. kid — to tease
  13. sharp — clever
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. bat — the animal
  16. last — finally
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. last — to go on
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. last — final
  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