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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. content — the amount
  3. fall — to drop
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. cell — a phone
  6. deal — to handle
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. saw — the tool
  9. content — happy
  10. wax — to grow
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. cell — in biology
  13. ball — a dance
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. rush — hurry
  17. fall — the season
  18. saw — the tool
  19. ball — a great time
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. fall — to drop
  24. content — videos and posts

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