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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. pound — a weight
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. current — happening now
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. current — of water
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. content — happy
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. dip — to sink
  16. content — the amount
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. perch — the fish
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. current — electric

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