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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's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. track — a path
  7. dip — to sink
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. sharp — clever
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. content — the amount
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. content — happy
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. track — a song
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. track — to keep track
  23. content — videos and posts
  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