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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bear — the animal
  4. squash — to crush
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bear — the animal
  8. squash — the sport
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. chip — to eat
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. chip — for betting
  15. last — final
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. content — the amount
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. last — finally
  23. last — to go on
  24. chip — in a computer

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