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

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. spring — the season
  8. spring — a coil
  9. can — a tin
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. fall — the season
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. spring — of water
  18. can — to be able to
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. content — happy
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. can — a tin
  23. fall — to drop
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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