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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. suit — to fit
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. bound — certain
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. content — happy
  10. bass — low music
  11. swing — to play on
  12. bound — obliged
  13. suit — clothes
  14. swing — in golf
  15. bass — the fish
  16. land — ground
  17. bound — tied together
  18. suit — in cards
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. land — to come down
  21. land — a country
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. swing — music
  24. temple — a place of worship

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