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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: toast · staff · temple · tear · kid · object · rule · march

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. object — a thing
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. tear — from crying
  6. kid — to tease
  7. march — the month
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. tear — to rip
  10. object — an aim
  11. object — to protest
  12. rule — government
  13. staff — a stick
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. staff — employees
  16. kid — child
  17. march — music
  18. staff — employees
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. tear — from crying
  21. rule — a law
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. toast — bread
  24. march — the month

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