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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kid · can · suit · wound · temple · foot · tube · ground

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. tube — a container
  3. suit — in cards
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. ground — a position
  6. can — a tin
  7. wound — an injury
  8. suit — to fit
  9. kid — to tease
  10. tube — the underground
  11. ground — crushed
  12. can — to be able to
  13. suit — clothes
  14. kid — child
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. foot — a measure
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. can — a tin
  21. wound — an injury
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. ground — the earth

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