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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. content — happy
  10. vault — a safe
  11. object — to protest
  12. toast — bread
  13. cue — a hint
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. cue — for pool
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a grade
  18. deal — to handle
  19. object — an aim
  20. mark — a trace
  21. object — a thing
  22. cue — a signal
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. content — the amount

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