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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. content — the amount
  3. season — of the year
  4. chest — a box
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. season — in sport
  10. kick — in football
  11. chest — of your body
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. chest — of your body
  14. present — there
  15. present — a gift
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. tube — a container
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. content — happy

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