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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: squash · cabinet · track · fine · bear · temple · kid · arm

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. kid — child
  6. track — a path
  7. fine — high quality
  8. track — a song
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bear — the animal
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. fine — all right
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. squash — to crush
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. bear — the animal
  22. squash — the sport
  23. track — to keep track
  24. bear — to put up with

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