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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  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. fan — to cool the air
  2. content — the amount
  3. present — the time now
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. row — to paddle
  8. wake — a trail
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. sharp — clever
  14. present — there
  15. row — a line
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. content — happy
  19. present — a gift
  20. deal — to handle
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. fan — a supporter
  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