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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. content — happy
  3. content — the amount
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. mug — a cup
  6. race — the arms race
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mug — a face
  9. bore — to drill
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bore — to tire
  14. wound — an injury
  15. lie — to recline
  16. race — humankind
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. mug — to rob
  19. race — a contest
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. mouse — for a computer

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