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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. chest — a box
  3. drill — army training
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. drill — a practice
  6. sharp — clever
  7. drill — the tool
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bound — tied together
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — of the year
  12. bound — obliged
  13. content — happy
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. chest — of your body
  16. mug — a face
  17. mug — to rob
  18. mug — a cup
  19. season — in sport
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. bound — certain
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. sharp — exactly

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