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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. current — electric
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. current — happening now
  7. prune — to trim
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. content — happy
  11. shower — rain
  12. prune — to trim
  13. clip — a video
  14. clip — for paper
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. current — of water
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. shower — to wash
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. chair — a leader
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. clip — to cut
  24. temple — a place of worship

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