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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. can — to be able to
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. can — a tin
  7. mark — a trace
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. content — the amount
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitch — completely
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. mark — a grade
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. can — a tin
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. trunk — of a tree

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