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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 124 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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mug — a cup
  4. suit — clothes
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. suit — in cards
  8. rash — a series
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. roll — a cake
  11. suit — to fit
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. hand — in cards
  14. rash — hasty
  15. cell — in biology
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. mug — a face
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. mug — to rob
  21. roll — a list
  22. cell — a phone
  23. content — happy
  24. hand — help

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