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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 116 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. staff — employees
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. land — ground
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. deal — to handle
  7. rush — hurry
  8. mark — a trace
  9. content — happy
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. content — the amount
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. land — to come down
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — a stick
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. rock — music
  23. rock — a stone
  24. land — a country

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