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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: kid · row · cabinet · temple · suit · stand · race · mug

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. row — to paddle
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. mug — a cup
  8. race — a contest
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. kid — to tease
  11. mug — a face
  12. suit — to fit
  13. race — the arms race
  14. row — a line
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. suit — clothes
  17. suit — in cards
  18. mug — to rob
  19. kid — child
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. stand — to bear
  22. race — humankind
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. stand — on your feet

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