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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. bear — the animal
  4. tube — the underground
  5. content — the amount
  6. object — to protest
  7. march — music
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. object — an aim
  11. march — the month
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. squash — to crush
  14. march — the month
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. bear — the animal
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. object — a thing
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. tube — a container
  22. squash — the sport
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bear — to put up with

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