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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a great time
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. content — the amount
  9. content — happy
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. rule — government
  12. foot — a measure
  13. ground — crushed
  14. wax — to grow
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. rule — a law
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. ground — the earth
  24. rule — to rule out

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