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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 116 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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. sharp — clever
  3. fall — to drop
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. spring — of water
  6. bear — the animal
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. current — of water
  9. fall — the season
  10. current — electric
  11. current — happening now
  12. deal — to handle
  13. spring — a coil
  14. bear — the animal
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. content — happy
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. saw — the tool
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. saw — the tool
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. spring — the season
  24. fall — to drop

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