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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. rush — hurry
  3. mug — to rob
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. current — electric
  7. current — of water
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. game — wild animals
  13. mug — a cup
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. game — a match
  16. pass — a permit
  17. sharp — clever
  18. content — the amount
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. current — happening now
  24. mug — a face

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