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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. mark — a trace
  3. content — the amount
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. chair — a leader
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. hand — in cards
  11. content — happy
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. face — part of the head
  14. face — to point toward
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. hand — help
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. face — to confront
  24. mouse — the animal

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