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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 124 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. content — happy
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. charge — a price
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. charge — in control
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. chair — a leader
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bear — the animal
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. content — the amount
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. charge — electricity

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