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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 120 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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. bass — the fish
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. foot — a measure
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. wax — to grow
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. content — the amount
  14. bass — low music
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. rush — hurry
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. pass — a permit
  24. content — happy

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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