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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. pop — soda
  4. content — the amount
  5. staff — a stick
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. squash — to crush
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. face — to confront
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. kick — in football
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. staff — employees
  16. pop — to visit
  17. bear — the animal
  18. face — to point toward
  19. pop — music
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. content — happy
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. squash — the sport

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