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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. court — of law
  4. rest — what's left
  5. firm — steady
  6. court — of a king
  7. cap — a hat
  8. firm — decided
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — letters
  12. firm — a company
  13. rest — a break
  14. cap — of ice
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. court — for sport
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — to grow
  22. rest — what's left
  23. kid — to tease
  24. cap — a lid

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