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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  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. can — to be able to
  2. ground — crushed
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. firm — a company
  5. can — a tin
  6. mate — a friend
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mate — to breed
  10. ground — a position
  11. content — happy
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. hand — help
  15. mate — a partner
  16. firm — decided
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. content — the amount
  20. hand — in cards
  21. firm — steady
  22. can — a tin
  23. hand — part of the body
  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