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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. wound — an injury
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. dip — to sink
  6. content — the amount
  7. court — of a king
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. spell — magic
  10. spell — letters
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. key — the most important part
  13. court — of law
  14. key — for a lock
  15. court — for sport
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. spell — a short time
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. content — happy
  24. key — in music

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