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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. stock — goods
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. dip — to sink
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. tear — from crying
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. tear — to rip
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. vault — a safe
  15. stock — shares
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. kick — in football
  18. tear — from crying
  19. fine — all right
  20. content — the amount
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. content — happy
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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