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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. court — of a king
  4. kid — to tease
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. tube — a container
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. tube — the underground
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. court — of law
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. drill — army training
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. hand — help
  17. hand — in cards
  18. kid — child
  19. drill — a practice
  20. drill — the tool
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. court — for sport
  24. nail — for a hammer

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