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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. stem — to come from
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. content — the amount
  6. object — a thing
  7. swing — in golf
  8. object — an aim
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. swing — to play on
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. tube — a container
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. content — happy
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. object — to protest
  18. board — to get on
  19. board — a committee
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. swing — music
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. tube — the underground
  24. fork — in a road

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