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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. content — happy
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. wax — to grow
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. roll — a cake
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. roll — a list
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. content — the amount
  23. kick — in football
  24. temple — a place of worship

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