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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. chest — a box
  3. track — a path
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. track — to keep track
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. drill — army training
  10. pass — a permit
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. bear — the animal
  14. saw — the tool
  15. drill — a practice
  16. bear — the animal
  17. chest — of your body
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. track — a song
  20. drill — the tool
  21. chest — of your body
  22. saw — the tool
  23. content — happy
  24. content — the amount

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