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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. content — happy
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. file — a tool
  5. ball — a great time
  6. content — the amount
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. file — a line of people
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. file — a document
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. pit — in a race
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. content — videos and posts

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