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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. content — the amount
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. content — happy
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. fork — in a road
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. roll — a cake
  14. season — of the year
  15. roll — a list
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. chip — for betting
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. season — in sport
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. chip — to eat

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