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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.

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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  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. key — in music
  2. key — for a lock
  3. rest — a break
  4. ground — a position
  5. content — happy
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. rest — what's left
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. rest — what's left
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. mine — for digging
  18. pound — a weight
  19. key — the most important part
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ground — crushed
  22. pound — for dogs
  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