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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. rest — what's left
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. content — happy
  8. rest — a break
  9. spell — magic
  10. squash — to crush
  11. rest — what's left
  12. spring — of water
  13. spring — a coil
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. squash — the sport
  16. spell — a short time
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. content — the amount
  19. mug — a cup
  20. spring — the season
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. spell — letters
  23. mug — to rob
  24. safe — out of danger

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