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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. ball — a great time
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. bark — to shout
  5. rule — a law
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. rule — government
  9. ball — a dance
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. can — to be able to
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. can — a tin
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. can — a tin
  22. sharp — clever
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. kid — to tease

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