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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bear — the animal
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. rock — a stone
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bear — the animal
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. date — the fruit
  12. content — happy
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. saw — the tool
  15. squash — the sport
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. saw — the tool
  20. rock — music
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. content — the amount
  24. squash — to crush

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