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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. content — happy
  4. face — part of the head
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. stock — shares
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. stock — goods
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. rush — hurry
  17. face — to confront
  18. mine — for digging
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. face — to point toward
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. content — the amount
  24. mouse — for a computer

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