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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. pit — a hole
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — to breed
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. content — happy
  13. press — a publisher
  14. press — to push
  15. kid — to tease
  16. mate — a partner
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. pit — in a race
  19. kid — child
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. content — the amount
  23. fork — in a road
  24. press — newspapers

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