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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. mate — a partner
  4. field — farmland
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. mate — to breed
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. fine — high quality
  9. cap — a hat
  10. content — happy
  11. fine — all right
  12. cap — a lid
  13. mate — a friend
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. content — the amount
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. saw — the tool
  19. field — for sport
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. saw — the tool
  22. cap — of ice
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. field — a subject

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