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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. shower — rain
  3. content — the amount
  4. hand — in cards
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. hand — help
  8. firm — steady
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. shower — to wash
  12. lie — to recline
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. content — happy
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. branch — a division
  21. firm — a company
  22. deal — to handle
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. firm — decided

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