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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 was ________________ to happen.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. saw — the tool
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. content — the amount
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. current — happening now
  7. spell — magic
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. can — to be able to
  10. spell — letters
  11. content — happy
  12. can — a tin
  13. dip — to sink
  14. can — a tin
  15. saw — the tool
  16. current — electric
  17. bound — tied together
  18. file — a line of people
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bound — obliged
  22. current — of water
  23. file — a tool
  24. file — a document

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