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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. spell — a short time
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. content — the amount
  14. spell — magic
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. date — the fruit
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. spell — letters
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. content — happy
  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