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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. face — part of the head
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. scale — size or range
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. toast — bread
  11. face — to point toward
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. scale — in music
  14. content — happy
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. content — the amount
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. face — to confront
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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