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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. board — a committee
  4. bear — the animal
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. saw — the tool
  10. board — to get on
  11. bear — the animal
  12. field — a subject
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. rash — hasty
  15. content — happy
  16. rash — a series
  17. content — the amount
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. field — for sport
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. field — farmland
  23. saw — the tool
  24. mouse — the animal

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