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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — happy
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. mug — a face
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. cap — a hat
  13. mug — to rob
  14. content — the amount
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. last — to go on
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. last — finally
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. last — final
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. cap — of ice

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