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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. content — happy
  3. suit — in cards
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. suit — to fit
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. bear — the animal
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. spell — letters
  12. toast — bread
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. content — the amount
  16. bear — the animal
  17. suit — clothes
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. spell — magic
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. spell — a short time
  24. content — videos and posts

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