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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · object · mate · mark · hand · key · temple · bulb

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. mate — a friend
  3. key — the most important part
  4. content — happy
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. object — a thing
  7. mate — a partner
  8. object — to protest
  9. content — the amount
  10. key — in music
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. object — an aim
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mate — to breed
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. hand — in cards
  18. bulb — for light
  19. key — for a lock
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. hand — help
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — a grade

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