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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. craft — a skill
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bear — the animal
  5. can — a tin
  6. content — the amount
  7. last — finally
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. mug — a face
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. craft — boats
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. can — to be able to
  16. mug — to rob
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. mug — a cup
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. bear — the animal
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — final
  23. can — a tin
  24. nail — on a finger

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