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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. row — to paddle
  3. key — in music
  4. key — for a lock
  5. content — the amount
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. board — to get on
  11. rush — hurry
  12. prune — to trim
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. wax — to grow
  15. board — a committee
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. key — the most important part
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. prune — to trim
  24. row — a line

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