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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. cue — for pool
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. cue — a signal
  15. kid — child
  16. content — the amount
  17. rush — hurry
  18. content — happy
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. kid — to tease
  24. fan — a supporter

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