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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. content — happy
  3. content — the amount
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. cue — a signal
  6. can — to be able to
  7. cue — a hint
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. can — a tin
  10. season — of the year
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. cue — for pool
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. march — the month
  18. march — the month
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. prune — to trim
  21. march — music
  22. can — a tin
  23. season — in sport
  24. prune — to trim

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