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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. bore — to tire
  6. mug — to rob
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. land — ground
  10. mug — a cup
  11. current — electric
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. content — happy
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. current — of water
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rush — hurry
  19. land — to come down
  20. current — happening now
  21. mug — a face
  22. land — a country
  23. bore — to drill
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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