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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 120 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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. content — the amount
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bear — the animal
  5. object — to protest
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. rock — a stone
  9. mate — a partner
  10. ground — the earth
  11. object — a thing
  12. mate — a friend
  13. object — an aim
  14. bear — the animal
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mate — to breed
  17. ground — crushed
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. ground — a position
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. saw — the tool
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rock — music

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