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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — of ice
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. content — happy
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. rest — what's left
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. cap — a hat
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of law
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. court — of a king
  24. bark — of a tree

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