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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.

Make a worksheet

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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: content · foot · shower · game · mine · temple · leaves · pass

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. game — wild animals
  4. pass — a permit
  5. mine — for digging
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. foot — a measure
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. shower — to wash
  17. content — happy
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. game — a match
  21. content — the amount
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. shower — rain
  24. temple — a place of worship

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