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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  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. content — happy
  2. staff — a stick
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. object — to protest
  5. lie — to recline
  6. spell — a short time
  7. staff — employees
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. staff — employees
  17. spell — letters
  18. object — an aim
  19. spell — magic
  20. content — the amount
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pitch — completely
  23. object — a thing
  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