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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. content — happy
  3. chip — for betting
  4. season — of the year
  5. chip — to eat
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stock — shares
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. content — the amount
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. pass — a permit
  16. stock — goods
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. shower — to wash
  21. season — in sport
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. shower — rain

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