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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. content — happy
  6. file — a tool
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. charge — in control
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. charge — electricity
  13. file — a document
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wound — an injury
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. charge — a price
  20. wound — an injury
  21. file — a line of people
  22. content — the amount
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. racket — for tennis

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