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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.

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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 was locked up in a ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. present — there
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. toast — bread
  5. content — happy
  6. cell — a phone
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. present — the time now
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. bass — the fish
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. cell — in biology
  19. content — the amount
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. present — a gift
  24. bass — low music

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