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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. saw — the tool
  3. ball — a great time
  4. snap — to click
  5. staff — a stick
  6. saw — the tool
  7. object — to protest
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. charge — in control
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. charge — a price
  14. lie — to recline
  15. staff — employees
  16. object — an aim
  17. content — the amount
  18. charge — electricity
  19. staff — employees
  20. ball — a dance
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. content — happy
  24. object — a thing

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