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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bank — for money
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — to handle
  7. content — the amount
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. roll — a list
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. roll — a cake
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bank — for money
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. cabinet — ministers

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