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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — a break
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. bear — the animal
  7. shower — to wash
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bear — the animal
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. sharp — clever
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. content — happy
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — a stone
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. stem — to come from
  19. rest — what's left
  20. shower — rain
  21. content — the amount
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. rock — to move gently

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