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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. content — the amount
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. charge — in control
  8. kid — to tease
  9. content — happy
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. lie — to recline
  12. rush — hurry
  13. charge — electricity
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. charge — a price
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. kid — child
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. wave — with your hand

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