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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 · deal · kid · stick · dip · rule · firm · race

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. rule — a law
  3. race — the arms race
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. deal — to handle
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. firm — steady
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. race — humankind
  15. kid — child
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. firm — decided
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. kid — to tease
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. rule — government
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to sink
  24. race — a contest

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