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

Word bank: ball · can · bore · toast · hide · temple · mate · content

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. mate — to breed
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. toast — bread
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bore — to drill
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. can — a tin
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. ball — a dance
  13. can — to be able to
  14. content — happy
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bore — to tire
  18. content — the amount
  19. mate — a friend
  20. ball — a great time
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. mate — a partner
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. hide — to keep secret

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