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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 120 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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. content — the amount
  3. saw — the tool
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bank — of a river
  9. cap — a lid
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. bank — for money
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bank — for money
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. content — happy
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bat — the animal
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. deal — to handle
  21. cap — a hat
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. deal — a big deal

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