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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — the amount
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. track — a path
  7. ground — the earth
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. hand — help
  11. content — happy
  12. date — the fruit
  13. track — a song
  14. mug — a cup
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. ground — a position
  17. mug — to rob
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. ground — crushed
  20. mug — a face
  21. track — to keep track
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. snap — to click

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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