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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. rock — a stone
  4. band — a ring
  5. fall — to drop
  6. content — happy
  7. band — a music group
  8. rock — music
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. fall — to drop
  11. can — a tin
  12. content — the amount
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. can — to be able to
  15. deal — to handle
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. can — a tin
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. deal — an agreement

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