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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. present — the time now
  3. mate — a partner
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. wound — an injury
  9. can — a tin
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. mate — a friend
  12. content — the amount
  13. scale — size or range
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. content — happy
  17. present — a gift
  18. mate — to breed
  19. scale — in music
  20. wound — an injury
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. can — a tin
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. present — there

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