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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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. temple — side of the head
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bank — of a river
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. bank — for money
  8. drill — the tool
  9. club — a group
  10. mate — to breed
  11. club — for golf
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bank — for money
  14. content — happy
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. drill — a practice
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mate — a partner
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. wake — a trail
  22. drill — army training
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. club — for dancing

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