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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. race — humankind
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. staff — employees
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. content — happy
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. race — a contest
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. content — the amount
  15. staff — a stick
  16. staff — employees
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bore — to drill
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. foot — a measure
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. race — the arms race

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