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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. key — in music
  4. content — happy
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. content — the amount
  8. rush — hurry
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. wound — an injury
  11. pound — a weight
  12. cell — in biology
  13. craft — a skill
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. craft — boats
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. key — the most important part
  18. dip — to sink
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. cell — a phone
  24. key — for a lock

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