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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. staff — employees
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. pitch — completely
  7. wound — an injury
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pound — a weight
  13. kid — child
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. kid — to tease
  16. staff — a stick
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. staff — employees
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. wound — an injury

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