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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. fall — to drop
  3. can — to be able to
  4. cap — a hat
  5. fall — to drop
  6. present — the time now
  7. staff — employees
  8. cap — of ice
  9. staff — employees
  10. can — a tin
  11. present — a gift
  12. can — a tin
  13. cap — a lid
  14. content — the amount
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. staff — a stick
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. court — of a king
  21. court — of law
  22. court — for sport
  23. present — there
  24. fall — the season

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