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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. content — the amount
  4. shower — to wash
  5. firm — a company
  6. tear — to rip
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. mate — a partner
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — from crying
  11. foot — a measure
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. saw — the tool
  14. suit — clothes
  15. mate — a friend
  16. saw — the tool
  17. suit — to fit
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. firm — decided
  20. firm — steady
  21. suit — in cards
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. content — happy
  24. shower — rain

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