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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 120 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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  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 — videos and posts
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — hasty
  8. content — happy
  9. chest — of your body
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. ball — a dance
  13. rash — a series
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. ball — a great time
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. chest — a box
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. chest — of your body
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. content — the amount
  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