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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. rest — a break
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. tear — to rip
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — happy
  9. tear — from crying
  10. rest — what's left
  11. tear — from crying
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. chip — to eat
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. chip — for betting
  16. mark — a trace
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. rest — what's left

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