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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. fine — all right
  3. ground — a position
  4. present — the time now
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. present — there
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. tear — from crying
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. present — a gift
  15. content — happy
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. tear — to rip
  18. content — the amount
  19. fine — high quality
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. ground — the earth
  23. tear — from crying
  24. ground — crushed

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