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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. lean — thin
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. charge — a price
  9. rash — hasty
  10. kick — in football
  11. content — the amount
  12. net — in sport
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. charge — in control
  15. content — happy
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. net — for catching
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. charge — electricity
  22. lean — to bend
  23. net — after costs
  24. bowl — a dish

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