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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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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. content — the amount
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. bulb — for light
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. rule — a law
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. content — happy
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. foot — a measure
  15. dip — to sink
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rule — government

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