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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 120 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. suit — to fit
  4. content — happy
  5. foot — a measure
  6. hand — help
  7. pop — music
  8. rash — hasty
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. suit — in cards
  12. pop — to visit
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. content — the amount
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pop — soda
  17. pit — a hole
  18. suit — clothes
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. hand — in cards
  22. rash — a series
  23. saw — the tool
  24. content — videos and posts

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