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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. face — to point toward
  3. object — an aim
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. content — the amount
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. pop — soda
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. face — to confront
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. content — happy
  15. pop — to visit
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. pop — music
  19. foot — a measure
  20. face — part of the head
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. object — a thing
  23. wound — an injury
  24. object — to protest

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