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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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Word bank
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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. tear — from crying
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — to handle
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. dip — to sink
  10. chest — of your body
  11. race — the arms race
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. tear — to rip
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. race — humankind
  16. race — a contest
  17. tear — from crying
  18. chest — a box
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. dip — to dunk

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