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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. perch — the fish
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. pass — a permit
  11. swing — to play on
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. swing — in golf
  15. wake — a trail
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. swing — music
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. content — the amount
  21. chair — a leader
  22. stand — to bear
  23. snap — to click
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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