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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. present — the time now
  3. can — a tin
  4. bank — of a river
  5. present — a gift
  6. content — the amount
  7. kid — child
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. sharp — clever
  11. present — there
  12. content — happy
  13. bank — for money
  14. wound — an injury
  15. kid — to tease
  16. can — a tin
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. bank — for money
  19. wound — an injury
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. can — to be able to
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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