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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. rest — a break
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. last — finally
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. suit — to fit
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. content — the amount
  10. band — a music group
  11. rush — hurry
  12. ball — a great time
  13. band — a ring
  14. suit — in cards
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. last — final
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — what's left
  20. content — happy
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. sharp — clever
  23. last — to go on
  24. ball — a dance

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