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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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. race — humankind
  4. pop — music
  5. content — the amount
  6. content — happy
  7. object — to protest
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. rule — government
  10. object — a thing
  11. pop — soda
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bear — the animal
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. bear — the animal
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rule — a law
  20. race — a contest
  21. stand — to bear
  22. pop — to visit
  23. object — an aim
  24. race — the arms race

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