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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. suit — to fit
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. suit — clothes
  5. mug — to rob
  6. cold — not warm
  7. content — happy
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. suit — in cards
  10. fine — high quality
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. fine — all right
  14. mug — a face
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. deal — to handle
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. cold — an illness
  24. mug — a cup

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