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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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468
Word bank
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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. stand — to bear
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. spring — a coil
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. spell — letters
  12. spring — of water
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. content — the amount
  15. spring — the season
  16. spell — magic
  17. fine — all right
  18. fork — in a road
  19. content — happy
  20. spell — a short time
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. stand — on your feet

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