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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 120 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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. pop — soda
  4. bass — the fish
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. content — happy
  8. mug — a cup
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pop — to visit
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pop — music
  16. mug — to rob
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. foot — a measure
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bass — low music
  24. content — the amount

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