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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: cap · rule · bore · content · land · can · temple · safe

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  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. content — happy
  2. bore — to tire
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. land — ground
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. cap — a lid
  8. can — a tin
  9. bore — to drill
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. land — a country
  12. can — a tin
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. cap — of ice
  15. can — to be able to
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. land — to come down
  18. cap — a hat
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rule — a law
  21. rule — government
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — out of danger
  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