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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. content — happy
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. face — part of the head
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wound — an injury
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. face — to confront
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pitch — completely
  14. charge — electricity
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. prune — to trim
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. content — the amount
  20. wound — an injury
  21. prune — to trim
  22. face — to point toward
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — in control

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