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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. content — happy
  6. season — of the year
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. mark — a grade
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. suit — clothes
  12. pop — music
  13. season — in sport
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. suit — in cards
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. pop — soda
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mark — a trace
  22. suit — to fit
  23. pop — to visit
  24. content — the amount

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