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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. content — happy
  3. content — the amount
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. roll — a cake
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. roll — a list
  14. toast — bread
  15. rush — hurry
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. kick — in football
  20. pass — a permit
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. mouse — the animal

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