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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. roll — a cake
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. content — happy
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. fine — high quality
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. rule — government
  14. rule — a law
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. fine — all right

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