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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. rash — a series
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. tear — to rip
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. foot — a measure
  13. tear — from crying
  14. rash — hasty
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. lie — to recline
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. content — the amount
  21. tear — from crying
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. bear — the animal
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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