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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. tube — a container
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. plane — a tool
  11. tube — the underground
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. date — the fruit
  15. content — happy
  16. content — the amount
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. wound — an injury
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wound — an injury
  24. leaves — lets stay

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