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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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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: mouse · dip · content · bear · rash · sharp · nail · temple

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. content — happy
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. dip — to sink
  15. rash — hasty
  16. content — the amount
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. rash — a series
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. sharp — clever
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. bear — the animal

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