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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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Word bank
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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. mate — to breed
  3. ground — a position
  4. kid — child
  5. suit — in cards
  6. cue — a signal
  7. mate — a friend
  8. suit — to fit
  9. content — happy
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. ground — the earth
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. cue — a hint
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. kid — to tease
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. ground — crushed
  18. tear — from crying
  19. cue — for pool
  20. suit — clothes
  21. tear — from crying
  22. mate — a partner
  23. content — the amount
  24. temple — a place of worship

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