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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. rock — a stone
  4. content — the amount
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bound — certain
  7. cell — in biology
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. bound — obliged
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cap — of ice
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. net — after costs
  17. cap — a hat
  18. saw — the tool
  19. net — in sport
  20. content — happy
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. bound — tied together
  24. net — for catching

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