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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. content — happy
  3. bound — tied together
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. dip — to sink
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. can — a tin
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. can — to be able to
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. can — a tin
  15. lean — to bend
  16. content — the amount
  17. bound — obliged
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. lean — thin
  20. bound — certain
  21. pass — a permit
  22. rush — hurry
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. rush — a thrill

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