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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — for betting
  5. present — there
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. content — happy
  8. suit — to fit
  9. last — finally
  10. last — to go on
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. suit — in cards
  14. present — a gift
  15. present — the time now
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. last — final
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. rash — a series
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. content — the amount
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. suit — clothes

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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