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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. cap — a lid
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bass — low music
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mug — a cup
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — from crying
  11. mug — a face
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. mine — for digging
  14. cap — of ice
  15. content — the amount
  16. tear — to rip
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. pass — a permit
  20. cap — a hat
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. bass — the fish
  23. mug — to rob
  24. content — happy

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