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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: content · mate · hide · march · temple · pit · nail · mouse

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. mate — a friend
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. content — the amount
  5. mate — to breed
  6. content — happy
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mate — a partner
  9. march — the month
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. march — music
  13. pit — a hole
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. march — the month
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. nail — on a finger

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