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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. content — the amount
  5. object — to protest
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. stock — shares
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. object — a thing
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — hurry
  20. spell — letters
  21. content — happy
  22. spell — a short time
  23. stock — goods
  24. object — an aim

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