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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bear — the animal
  3. content — happy
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. content — the amount
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. cell — a phone
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bear — the animal
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. wake — a trail
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cell — in biology
  24. temple — side of the head

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