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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. can — a tin
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. track — to keep track
  6. race — the arms race
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. track — a path
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. sharp — clever
  13. kid — to tease
  14. capital — a city
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. capital — money
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. track — a song
  19. race — a contest
  20. race — humankind
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. kid — child

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