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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. can — a tin
  5. fork — in a road
  6. can — a tin
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. can — to be able to
  9. fine — all right
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. content — the amount
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. fine — high quality

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