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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. mate — to breed
  3. shower — to wash
  4. content — the amount
  5. can — a tin
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. mate — a partner
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. can — a tin
  10. suit — to fit
  11. object — a thing
  12. mate — a friend
  13. chest — a box
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. sharp — clever
  16. object — to protest
  17. can — to be able to
  18. content — happy
  19. chest — of your body
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. suit — clothes
  22. chest — of your body
  23. suit — in cards
  24. shower — rain

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