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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. file — a document
  3. cell — a phone
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. row — to paddle
  6. row — a line
  7. content — happy
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bear — the animal
  12. current — happening now
  13. file — a tool
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. current — electric
  16. bear — the animal
  17. perch — the fish
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. file — a line of people
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. content — the amount
  23. current — of water
  24. cell — in biology

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