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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: temple · bear · safe · clip · cabinet · content · court · ball

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. clip — for paper
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. clip — to cut
  8. content — the amount
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. ball — a great time
  13. bear — the animal
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. clip — a video
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. content — happy
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bear — the animal
  21. court — of law
  22. court — for sport
  23. court — of a king
  24. cabinet — ministers

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