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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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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: foot · nail · cold · temple · mouse · key · kid · tube

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. cold — an illness
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. key — for a lock
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. foot — a measure
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. tube — a container
  15. key — the most important part
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. key — in music
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. tube — the underground
  20. kid — child
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. cold — not warm
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. temple — a place of worship

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