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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. last — to go on
  3. content — happy
  4. bass — low music
  5. last — finally
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. can — to be able to
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. bore — to tire
  10. last — final
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. can — a tin
  13. bass — the fish
  14. dip — to sink
  15. stand — to bear
  16. bore — to drill
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. content — the amount
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. mark — a trace
  24. dip — to dunk

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