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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. mate — to breed
  4. chest — of your body
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. hand — help
  7. chest — a box
  8. wound — an injury
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — music
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. content — the amount
  14. hand — in cards
  15. content — happy
  16. mate — a friend
  17. rock — a stone
  18. mate — a partner
  19. stock — shares
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — goods
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. chest — of your body
  24. wound — an injury

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