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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. race — humankind
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. track — to keep track
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. track — a song
  7. race — a contest
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. ball — a great time
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. kid — to tease
  12. clip — a video
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. track — a path
  16. kid — child
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. race — the arms race
  20. clip — to cut
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. clip — for paper
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ball — a round shape

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