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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. face — part of the head
  4. present — there
  5. rock — music
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — the time now
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. rock — a stone
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. content — happy
  17. face — to confront
  18. saw — the tool
  19. content — the amount
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. saw — the tool
  24. face — to point toward

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