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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: temple · wake · deal · stand · branch · race · kick · kid

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. kid — child
  4. deal — to handle
  5. stand — to bear
  6. race — the arms race
  7. kick — in football
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. race — humankind
  16. kid — to tease
  17. race — a contest
  18. branch — a division
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. wake — a trail
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. kick — a thrill

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