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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. mark — a trace
  3. hand — help
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. mark — a grade
  6. content — happy
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. rule — a law
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. hand — in cards
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — the season
  20. rule — government
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pound — a weight
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. pound — to hit hard

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