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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. kid — to tease
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. mate — a friend
  5. race — humankind
  6. season — in sport
  7. kid — child
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. wound — an injury
  10. prune — to trim
  11. season — of the year
  12. wound — an injury
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. suit — in cards
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. suit — clothes
  18. race — a contest
  19. prune — to trim
  20. race — the arms race
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. suit — to fit
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a partner

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