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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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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: date · spell · lie · temple · press · content · field · jam

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. field — a subject
  3. spell — magic
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. field — farmland
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. content — the amount
  9. lie — to recline
  10. content — happy
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. press — to push
  14. date — the fruit
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. spell — letters
  17. press — newspapers
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. press — a publisher
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. spell — a short time
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. lie — an untruth

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