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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — happy
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bank — for money
  6. file — a document
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. rest — a break
  14. file — a tool
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bank — of a river
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. file — a line of people
  21. bank — for money
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. content — the amount
  24. sharp — exactly

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