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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. rest — what's left
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bound — obliged
  6. spring — a coil
  7. face — to confront
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. bound — tied together
  10. face — part of the head
  11. current — happening now
  12. spring — the season
  13. current — electric
  14. content — the amount
  15. face — to point toward
  16. rest — a break
  17. spring — of water
  18. current — of water
  19. bound — certain
  20. rest — what's left
  21. content — happy
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. lash — to lash out

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