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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. sharp — clever
  9. stand — to bear
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wound — an injury
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. wound — an injury
  14. rest — what's left
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. rest — a break
  18. rest — what's left
  19. lie — to recline
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. content — happy
  24. lie — an untruth

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