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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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. clip — for paper
  3. mug — to rob
  4. wake — a trail
  5. can — to be able to
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. clip — to cut
  8. last — to go on
  9. clip — a video
  10. content — the amount
  11. last — finally
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. can — a tin
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wound — an injury
  16. can — a tin
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. last — final
  21. content — happy
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. mug — a face
  24. cabinet — ministers

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