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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. rash — a series
  4. cell — a phone
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. rash — hasty
  7. charge — in control
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. cell — in biology
  10. charge — electricity
  11. content — the amount
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. saw — the tool
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a great time
  19. charge — a price
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. saw — the tool
  22. ball — a dance
  23. content — happy
  24. leaves — lets stay

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