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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.

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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. content — the amount
  3. rash — a series
  4. content — happy
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. snap — to click
  8. race — a contest
  9. bound — certain
  10. race — humankind
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bound — tied together
  13. race — the arms race
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bound — obliged
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — hasty

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