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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. pop — soda
  4. content — the amount
  5. pop — music
  6. bass — the fish
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rash — a series
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bass — low music
  13. tear — to rip
  14. charge — in control
  15. charge — a price
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. content — happy
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. pop — to visit
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. mouse — for a computer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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