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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. track — to keep track
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. track — a path
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. current — of water
  7. present — a gift
  8. current — happening now
  9. stand — to bear
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. rest — what's left
  15. content — happy
  16. track — a song
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. rest — what's left
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. content — the amount
  21. current — electric
  22. present — the time now
  23. rest — a break
  24. present — there

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