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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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 — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. rock — a stone
  9. kid — to tease
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — music
  13. capital — a city
  14. last — finally
  15. stock — goods
  16. last — final
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. kid — child
  20. capital — money
  21. sharp — clever
  22. pass — a permit
  23. last — to go on
  24. sharp — exactly

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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