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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. mug — a cup
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. content — happy
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. mug — to rob
  10. bulb — for light
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. kid — to tease
  14. kid — child
  15. sharp — clever
  16. lie — to recline
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. cell — in biology
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bulb — for light
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. mug — a face
  24. cell — a phone

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