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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. track — a path
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a song
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. lean — to bend
  14. chair — a leader
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. content — the amount
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. content — happy
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. pitch — completely
  24. lean — thin

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