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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. mug — to rob
  4. content — happy
  5. spell — a short time
  6. mug — a face
  7. bark — to shout
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. mug — a cup
  10. saw — the tool
  11. spell — magic
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. content — the amount
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bat — the animal
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. spell — letters
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bat — in an idiom

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