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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.

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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. saw — the tool
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. squash — to crush
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. content — the amount
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. content — happy
  17. rash — a series
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. rash — hasty
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. hide — to keep secret

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