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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. swing — to play on
  3. squash — to crush
  4. content — the amount
  5. squash — the sport
  6. bear — the animal
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. content — happy
  13. suit — clothes
  14. bear — the animal
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. chest — of your body
  17. swing — in golf
  18. chest — a box
  19. craft — boats
  20. craft — a skill
  21. swing — music
  22. suit — in cards
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. dip — to sink

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