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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. prune — to trim
  4. track — to keep track
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. track — a path
  7. dip — to sink
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. prune — to trim
  12. content — the amount
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. content — happy
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. track — a song
  17. drill — a practice
  18. drill — the tool
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fine — all right
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. drill — army training
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. kick — a thrill

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