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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — a series
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rush — hurry
  6. mug — a cup
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. game — a match
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. content — happy
  13. mark — a trace
  14. craft — boats
  15. press — to push
  16. content — the amount
  17. game — wild animals
  18. press — newspapers
  19. mug — a face
  20. craft — a skill
  21. press — a publisher
  22. rash — hasty
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mug — to rob

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