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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. capital — money
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. capital — a city
  7. vault — a safe
  8. shower — to wash
  9. root — of a word
  10. stand — to bear
  11. kid — child
  12. root — the cause
  13. root — of a plant
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. snap — to click
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. kid — to tease
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. shower — rain

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