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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. bear — the animal
  5. fine — all right
  6. pass — a permit
  7. fall — the season
  8. tear — from crying
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. shower — rain
  13. tear — from crying
  14. fine — high quality
  15. shower — to wash
  16. kid — to tease
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. bear — the animal
  19. tear — to rip
  20. fall — to drop
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. kid — child

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