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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.

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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. face — part of the head
  3. content — the amount
  4. content — happy
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. suit — to fit
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. squash — to crush
  10. clip — for paper
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. suit — in cards
  13. clip — to cut
  14. face — to confront
  15. squash — the sport
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rush — hurry
  18. suit — clothes
  19. face — to point toward
  20. clip — a video
  21. can — a tin
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — to be able to

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