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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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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. content — happy
  4. shower — rain
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. stand — to bear
  7. shower — to wash
  8. content — the amount
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. mark — a trace
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. wax — to grow
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. can — a tin
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. can — to be able to
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. can — a tin
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. mark — a grade
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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