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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.

Make a worksheet

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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. chest — a box
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. mug — to rob
  5. suit — clothes
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. march — the month
  8. chest — of your body
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. mug — a cup
  11. suit — to fit
  12. content — the amount
  13. perch — the fish
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. season — of the year
  16. suit — in cards
  17. march — music
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. season — in sport
  20. mug — a face
  21. row — to paddle
  22. march — the month
  23. chest — of your body
  24. row — a line

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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