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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. race — humankind
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. content — the amount
  10. mug — a cup
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. race — the arms race
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. race — a contest
  15. content — happy
  16. mug — to rob
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. land — a country
  21. fine — high quality
  22. land — to come down
  23. mug — a face
  24. land — ground

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