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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. present — the time now
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. present — there
  15. pitch — completely
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. content — happy
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. dip — to sink
  20. present — a gift
  21. wound — an injury
  22. content — the amount
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. wound — an injury

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