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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. mate — a friend
  5. can — a tin
  6. spring — the season
  7. spring — of water
  8. dip — to sink
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. march — the month
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. can — a tin
  17. mate — to breed
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. mate — a partner
  21. kid — to tease
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. can — to be able to
  24. spring — a coil

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