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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. mate — a partner
  3. rock — a stone
  4. charge — in control
  5. charge — a price
  6. mate — a friend
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. rock — music
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. charge — electricity
  14. rush — hurry
  15. mate — to breed
  16. lean — to bend
  17. content — the amount
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. lean — thin
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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