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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. The water is too ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. firm — steady
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. mark — a grade
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. dip — to sink
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. cold — an illness
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. content — happy
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. firm — decided
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. firm — a company
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. content — the amount
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mark — a trace

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