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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. bass — the fish
  6. foot — a measure
  7. content — happy
  8. lean — to bend
  9. saw — the tool
  10. sharp — clever
  11. pit — in a race
  12. content — the amount
  13. deal — to handle
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. bass — low music
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. pit — a hole
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. lean — thin
  24. content — videos and posts

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