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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. content — the amount
  3. rush — hurry
  4. fork — in a road
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. present — the time now
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. firm — a company
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. firm — steady
  14. present — there
  15. firm — decided
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. pass — a permit
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. present — a gift
  21. content — happy
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. straw — dry grass

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