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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.

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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. saw — the tool
  4. present — the time now
  5. bass — the fish
  6. cue — a hint
  7. content — happy
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. cue — for pool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. bass — low music
  13. content — the amount
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. saw — the tool
  16. present — there
  17. land — a country
  18. cue — a signal
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. land — ground
  23. present — a gift
  24. land — to come down

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