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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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Word bank
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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. content — the amount
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. present — there
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. mug — to rob
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. fine — all right
  13. mug — a cup
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. content — happy
  16. fine — high quality
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. mug — a face
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. present — the time now
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. snap — to click
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. content — videos and posts

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