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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. content — happy
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. content — the amount
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. ground — a position
  7. rash — a series
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. ground — the earth
  10. rash — hasty
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wake — a trail
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. ground — crushed
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. mouse — the animal

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