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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bear — the animal
  4. spell — letters
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. fine — high quality
  8. degree — temperature
  9. bear — the animal
  10. degree — from a university
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. content — the amount
  14. spell — magic
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. degree — an amount
  19. roll — a cake
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. content — happy
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. roll — a list
  24. coach — a trainer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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