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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  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. content — videos and posts
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. rest — a break
  5. sharp — clever
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. track — a song
  8. track — a path
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. deal — to handle
  12. track — to keep track
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. content — happy
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. rest — what's left
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. pitch — completely
  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