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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.

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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. content — the amount
  4. last — finally
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — a container
  7. sharp — clever
  8. current — happening now
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. last — final
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — the fish
  16. content — happy
  17. last — to go on
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. current — of water
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. rest — what's left
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. current — electric

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