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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. rest — a break
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. mark — a grade
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. content — the amount
  12. mark — a trace
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. rest — what's left
  15. content — happy
  16. kick — in football
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. dip — to sink

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