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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've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. kid — child
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. firm — a company
  9. content — happy
  10. dip — to sink
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bear — the animal
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. firm — decided
  17. kid — to tease
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fork — in a road
  20. firm — steady
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bear — the animal
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. content — the amount

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