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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. sharp — clever
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. bank — for money
  5. wound — an injury
  6. can — a tin
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. court — of a king
  9. content — the amount
  10. court — for sport
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. content — happy
  16. court — of law
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. wound — an injury
  19. squash — the sport
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. bank — of a river
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. bank — for money

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