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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. content — happy
  7. can — a tin
  8. chip — for betting
  9. content — the amount
  10. can — a tin
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. roll — a list
  13. can — to be able to
  14. face — to confront
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. chip — to eat
  18. roll — a cake
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. face — to point toward
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. face — part of the head

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