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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. content — the amount
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. content — happy
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bank — for money
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. cell — a phone
  11. roll — a cake
  12. roll — a list
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — a hint
  19. bound — obliged
  20. cell — in biology
  21. bound — certain
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bound — tied together

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