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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. mug — a cup
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. press — newspapers
  8. content — happy
  9. mug — a face
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. cap — of ice
  12. court — of a king
  13. cap — a lid
  14. wax — to grow
  15. press — a publisher
  16. content — the amount
  17. game — a match
  18. game — wild animals
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. cap — a hat
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. court — for sport
  23. press — to push
  24. court — of law

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