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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. content — the amount
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. mate — a friend
  12. pound — a weight
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. mate — a partner
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. mate — to breed
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. content — happy
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bat — for baseball

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