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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. kid — to tease
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. stock — goods
  5. pass — a permit
  6. can — a tin
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. tube — the underground
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. stock — shares
  11. saw — the tool
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. tube — a container
  21. kid — child
  22. saw — the tool
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. temple — a place of worship

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