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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 120 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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. band — a ring
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. tube — a container
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. ground — the earth
  9. content — the amount
  10. band — a music group
  11. mark — a grade
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. mark — a trace
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. content — happy
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. ground — crushed
  19. tube — the underground
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. wake — a trail
  24. tube — in a tire

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