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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. object — a thing
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. mine — for digging
  5. race — a contest
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. content — happy
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. race — humankind
  10. object — an aim
  11. race — the arms race
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. can — a tin
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. object — to protest
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. can — to be able to
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. content — the amount
  23. can — a tin
  24. mine — belonging to me

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