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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. content — happy
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. rush — hurry
  6. wind — moving air
  7. content — the amount
  8. suit — clothes
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. drill — army training
  12. key — for a lock
  13. drill — the tool
  14. key — the most important part
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. drill — a practice
  17. suit — to fit
  18. wind — moving air
  19. key — in music
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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