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

Word bank: court · mate · rash · safe · snap · face · kid · temple

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. mate — a partner
  3. face — part of the head
  4. court — for sport
  5. kid — child
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. mate — to breed
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. face — to confront
  11. rash — hasty
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. kid — to tease
  14. court — of a king
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. snap — to click
  17. face — to point toward
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. mate — a friend
  22. court — of law
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — side of the head

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