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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pop — soda
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pop — music
  11. content — happy
  12. firm — steady
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. pop — to visit
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. firm — a company
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. firm — decided
  22. wound — an injury
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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