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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 116 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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — a grade
  10. present — the time now
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. present — a gift
  13. rash — a series
  14. rock — a stone
  15. band — a ring
  16. shower — rain
  17. rock — music
  18. band — a music group
  19. content — happy
  20. rash — hasty
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. present — there
  23. shower — to wash
  24. band — a rubber band

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