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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. craft — boats
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. current — electric
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. roll — a cake
  11. content — happy
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. current — of water
  15. craft — a skill
  16. current — happening now
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. content — the amount
  19. foot — a measure
  20. rush — hurry
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mark — a trace

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