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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  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. suit — clothes
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — a box
  4. bass — the fish
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. suit — in cards
  7. chest — of your body
  8. content — happy
  9. rule — a law
  10. hand — help
  11. suit — to fit
  12. squash — to crush
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. hand — in cards
  15. squash — the sport
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bass — low music
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. rule — government
  23. rule — to rule out
  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