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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. content — the amount
  6. cap — a lid
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. craft — boats
  9. cap — of ice
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. craft — a skill
  12. board — a committee
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. cell — a phone
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. board — to get on
  17. bear — the animal
  18. cell — in biology
  19. spell — a short time
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. spell — letters
  22. cap — a hat
  23. bear — the animal
  24. spell — magic

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